Germany and Côte d’Ivoire plan climate and development partnership

The German economic cooperation ministry (BMZ) has announced plans for a climate and development partnership with the Côte d’Ivoire. This will involve restoring five million hectares of tropical forest and expanding the use of renewable energies. The West African country has seen its forest land cover reduce from 37 percent to just 8 percent since 1960, mostly due to cocoa farming. “For the future, we want to work together to ensure that our cocoa consumption no longer leads to deforestation,” said BMZ state secretary Jochen Flasbarth. “The forest destruction of the past will now be followed by a phase of forest landscape restoration.”

As well as reforestation, the BMZ will help implement and promote sustainable supply chains and agricultural practices. Germany pledged 35 million euros for the new climate and development partnership.