Climate &Nature: Safeguarding Cameroon’s Heritage

The country faces a dual imperative: to accelerate economic growth in agriculture, mining, logging and infrastructure, whilst safeguarding its environment and natural heritage. That was the central message from conservation and finance experts during climate and nature discussions held yesterday, 17 June 2026, by the United Kingdom as part of its participation in PROMOTE 2026. The session brought together key stakeholders from government, the private sector, civil society, and development partners for a forward-looking, solutionsoriented dialogue. Discussions focused on promoting inclusive economic growth through sustainable agricultural value chains and environmentally responsible production systems. One of the speakers, Samuel Nguiffo of the Centre for Environment and Development, said: “We must manage our natural resources as efficiently as possible whilst improving productivity in agriculture. If we fail, we shall probably be unable to feed our population in the coming years, and we shall become even more reliant than we are today on food imports.” Arrah Emmanuel, Sustainable Finance Manager for West and Central Africa at the Zoological Society of London, said the round-table format ought to become a permanent mechanism for policy and investment. He proposed the establishment of a think tank to examine challenges in greater depth and to deliver practical solutions for sustainable growth across the forestry and conservation sectors. “We must devise a strategy to secure more of this finance, which is essential if we are to address climate-related challenges,” he said. Focus also turned to protecting Cameroon’s cocoa sector under new EU trade rules. The EU D...