Johnson signed the letter of intent from the Central African Forest Initiative (Cafi) for a 10-year agreement that includes targets for the protection of high-value forests and peatlands. Of the εκατο 200 million pledged by the United Kingdom to protect the Congo Basin in Cop26, εκατο 32 million was given to Cafi from the aid budget. In early April, the PRC government released a long-awaited audit of the country’s logging industry. He found that six successive ministers had illegally granted at least 18 logging concessions, violating a nearly 20-year moratorium on new industrial logging in the world’s second-largest rainforest. More than $ 3 million in royalties have not been paid to the government by operators due to a “chaotic situation”, according to the audit, which marks the first step in an agreement between the DRC and 12 donors signed on the first day of Cop26 in Glasgow will unlock $ 500 million to protect the vast ecosystem. Environmental groups say taxpayers’ money from the UK, Norway, France and Germany could be wasted if illegal concessions are not taken, with the moratorium on industrial logging to be lifted by the end of the year. of the current year. The DRC Ministry of Environment has issued a review of all forest concession contracts after the audit, but environmental groups are demanding suspensions and prosecutions for violations. Known as the Lungs of Africa, the tropical rainforest of the Congo is home to endangered forest elephants and gorillas and is a huge coal depot that holds rainfall throughout Egypt and is home to some 80 million people. It absorbs about 4% of the world’s annual carbon emissions. Irene Wabiwa Betoko, head of forestry in the Congo Basin for Greenpeace, said: “The audit reveals a circus of illegalities, corruption and crimes against the environment. “Greenpeace Africa demands legal investigation of all officials responsible for looting the rainforest and, where necessary, lifting their parliamentary immunity.” Despite the ban on new industrial logging, the PRC has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, losing 490,000 hectares (1.2 hectares) of primary rainforest by 2020, according to the Global Forest Watch. Lord Goldsmith, the international environment minister, visited the region last month after the PRC failed to fulfill the first step of the Cop26 agreement and announce the audit in early January. In a statement, he said his trip was an excellent opportunity to speak with leaders in one of the most important and biodiversity-rich areas of the Earth. “The leadership of the Congo Basin countries at Cop26 has had a huge impact, with great promises being made by both donor and Congolese countries. “I am determined that these promises are being kept,” he said. Cafi, the coalition of donor countries that made the $ 500 million deal with the PRC, welcomed the release of the control, but said no money had been released yet. In a statement to the Guardian, he praised the publication of the report by the PRC General Inspectorate on logging concessions and said he would continue to work with the PRC government to strengthen forest governance. “Cafi remains committed to supporting the DRC to ensure that the goals and commitments outlined in the 2021-2031 letter of intent are met,” he said. Find more extinction age coverage here and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features