COP30 – Belém 2025: DR Congo’s Minister of Employment Showcases Green Innovation as a driver of jobs and stability

COP30 – Belém 2025: DR Congo’s Minister of Employment Showcases Green Innovation as a Driver of Jobs and Stabilit

The national pavilion of the Democratic Republic of Congo drew significant attention on Friday 14 November during the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, as Ferdinand MASSAMBA WA MASSAMBA, Minister of Employment and Labour, delivered a high-impact address focused on the future of green innovation in the country.

Welcomed in the Blue Zone by Arlette BAHATI TITO, Minister Delegate for the New Climate Economy, and joined by the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Employment set out a clear and ambitious message that resonated with international partners, high-level guests and a delegation from the INPP.

His intervention centred on a theme that is rapidly becoming central to national development: “Protecting natural resources through green jobs to build a strong Congolese middle class.”

The Minister highlighted that the country’s green transition is now supported by two key state instruments. The Directory of Green Professions establishes a formal map of emerging climate-friendly careers while the National Plan for the Development of Green Jobs provides the policy framework for building a climate-resilient workforce. Both tools were formally adopted through an interministerial decree signed with the Ministry of Environment. According to the Minister, these instruments are more than administrative achievements. They mark a shift toward a future where environmental protection and economic innovation reinforce each other.

Addressing the delegates, Ferdinand MASSAMBA WA MASSAMBA reaffirmed the national objective of training one hundred thousand young people by the year two thousand thirty. This includes twenty thousand young people coming from conflict zones who will be integrated into green value chains. He noted that employment and stability are inseparable in the Congolese context. Investing in green skills is therefore a direct contribution to lasting peace. The Minister also recalled that this ambition aligns with the vision of President Félix Antoine TSHISEKEDI TSHILOMBO, who aims to build a resilient, inclusive and environmentally conscious national economy.

Through this initiative, the DRC intends to become a continental leader in climate-ready skills. Young Congolese will be trained in renewable energies, ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture, waste recovery, responsible construction techniques and other emerging green sectors that will shape the country’s economy in the coming decade.

The presence of the Minister in Belém generated strong enthusiasm. Several partners expressed renewed interest in supporting the implementation of the Green Jobs Plan. The success of his message confirmed that the DRC is increasingly viewed not only as a custodian of vital global ecosystems but also as a rising hub of social and economic innovation.