DRC names Lumiere as national carbon registry

By AI, Created 6:01 AM UTC, May 27, 2026, /AGP/ – The Democratic Republic of Congo has selected Lumiere as its sovereign carbon registry and plans a fuller unveiling at the Global Environment Facility Assembly in Samarkand from June 1-6, 2026. The move is meant to turn the country’s forests and environmental assets into a verifiable, state-controlled platform for carbon governance and investment.

Why it matters: - Lumiere is the Democratic Republic of Congo’s attempt to turn forests, ecosystems and carbon into sovereign assets tracked on a national system. - The registry is meant to give the DRC a verifiable framework for carbon governance, which could make the country more attractive to investors and project developers. - The platform matters for the Congo Basin, one of the world’s most important intact carbon sinks.

What happened: - The Democratic Republic of Congo named Lumiere as its national carbon registry in Singapore during Ecosperity Week. - The platform will be presented in fuller detail at the 8th Global Environment Facility Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from June 1-6, 2026. - The Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and the New Climate Economy developed Lumiere with local Congolese technology partner Lumiere Credit Carbon Platform SAS. - The registry moved from design into implementation over the past year.

The details: - The DRC intends Lumiere to serve as the platform through which the state governs and accounts for carbon and environmental assets within its borders. - The system is designed as a national treasury of verified environmental assets, with registered, valued and monitored credits under state control. - The first deployment area is a protected corridor covering about 15% of the national territory, an area the release compares to the size of France. - Credits issued through Lumiere are intended to align with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and CORSIA, the aviation offsetting framework. - Digital monitoring, reporting and verification is built into the platform so each asset can be traced and tracked. - The registry is expected to bring existing carbon projects into one transparent national view. - The platform is expected to open for registration of active projects at launch. - A working version of the registry is being prepared for deployment. - Full operation is targeted for later in 2026. - The supporting legal framework still needs to complete passage through the national legislature.

Between the lines: - The DRC is shifting from a climate promise to a governance infrastructure project. - A national registry creates a stronger claim over how carbon value is measured, priced and controlled. - The choice of Singapore signals an effort to place Lumiere in a major regional hub for climate finance. - The planned rollout suggests the government wants to present the platform to investors and partners as a state-backed, compliance-oriented system rather than a loose collection of carbon projects.

What’s next: - The DRC will unveil more of Lumiere’s scope, first deployment area and operating path at the GEF Assembly in Samarkand. - The government expects the platform to move toward full operation later in 2026 once the legal framework is approved. - The Ministry plans additional engagements with investors, developers and partners as the registry and the projects it carries move forward. - More information is available in the company’s announcement