With vast forests and peatlands that absorb significant quantities of CO2 annually, the DRC has promoted itself as a "solutions country" to the climate crisis, which has led to a nationwide proliferation of carbon offsetting projects for businesses.

But a study published by the NGO Rainforest Foundation UK has revealed "widespread illegalities in project attribution, human rights violations and other impacts that undermine efforts to promote effective and participatory forest management" in the DRC.

Projects "are causing social harms, damaging social cohesion and exacerbating the risk of intra and inter-community conflicts, elite capture and human rights violations", according to the authors, who conducted several field missions between May and August 2024.

"Promised funding rarely reaches the local level," they said, highlighting "weak evidence of tangible benefits for local populations in terms of revenues, economic opportunities or improved livelihoods".

The study also outlines "a striking lack of respect" for the consent of affected communities and the sector's "lack of transparency".

The researchers identified 71 carbon offsetting projects that span around 103 million hectares (255 million acres) -- almost all of the DRC's tropical forests.

But "other deals amounting to over 80 million hectares have been signed between government authorities and private investors... many of which are likely to overlap with existing projects," they added.

Former logging companies that have converted their concessions feature among the sector's players, which raises questions about the projects' actual value given that many of the areas have already been deforested, the report said.

The British NGO is urging the Congolese authorities to impose a moratorium on new carbon offsetting projects and conservation concessions.

Carbon credits are viewed as an essential tool to prevent the destruction of tropical forests, but many projects have been accused of selling worthless credits worldwide.