At COP30, Kayongo says DRC can lead Africa's path to smart, sustainable climate solutions

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📍 BELEM

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the potential to lead Africa in pioneering smart, sustainable, and scalable climate solutions, Dr Paul Mark Kayongo, the CEO of Lookwell Investments Limited, has said.

He was speaking at a dinner on the sidelines of the ongoing 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30 summit) in Belem, Brazil.

The 12-day conference, which got under way on Monday this week, is being seen as the start of what observers say will be a decisive decade in the battle against climate change.

The host city sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, called the "lungs of the Earth". Similarly, the Congo Basin forest, only second to the Amazon in terms of size, is considered "the lungs of Africa" for its role in regulating climate.

Small artisanal loggers sit resting on the RN4 in the heart of the Congo Basin forest near Kisangani in the northeast of DR Congo on September 25, 2019

But the worrying reality is that the world is losing its vital tropical forests at an alarming rate. 

"The DRC’s forest cover — representing 60% of Africa’s forests and 10% of the world’s tropical forest area — continues to decline. We have lost nearly eight million hectares in the last two decades, driven largely by the heavy dependence on biomass and charcoal for household energy," said Kayongo in Belem.

"This loss contributes significantly to carbon emissions, reduced biodiversity, and impacts agricultural productivity, leaving farmers increasingly vulnerable."

Kayongo is the president of Uganda's Woodball Federation, who has vast experience in financing. But in Brazil, his participation was in a different capacity: as the chief executive of Lookwell Investments Ltd, invited under the DRC delegation at COP30.

The company's work revolves around clean energy, waste management, smart infrastructure, as well as policy, research and advocacy.

Dr Paul Mark Kayongo, the CEO of Lookwell Investments Ltd, poses at the venue of COP30 in Belem, Brazil

DR Congo sent a delegation to the ongoing COP30 in Belem

In October this year, Lookwell presented its flagship initiative CleanBreeze Biogas Solutions to key stakeholders in DRC — with the aim of transforming waste management in major cities of the country, including its vast capital Kinshasa.

It is a smart, climate-responsive solution designed to transform organic waste into clean, renewable energy and high-quality organic fertilizers. 

Rapid urbanisation in the DRC has ramped up waste management challenges.

Kinshasa alone generates between 14,000 and 20,000 tonnes of waste every single day, equivalent to 5–7 million tonnes annually, yet less than 5% is managed sustainably.

Nearly 70% of the waste is left uncollected or dumped openly, and only 3–5% is recycled or composted. 

"These gaps clog systems, pollute waterways, and heighten public-health risks," said Kayongo.

Waste that is poorly disposed of poses a health risk to both humans and animals

With the many challenges in mind, the CleanBreeze Biogas Solutions was fronted as just the suitable solution to help Congo lead Africa in pioneering smart, sustainable, and scalable climate solutions.

"Through this innovation, we aim to support a circular global economy where waste becomes a resource, pollution becomes power, and environmental challenges become economic opportunities," said the Lookwell chief executive.

Typically, a circular global economy is achieved by emphasizing sharing, leasing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling products and materials to minimize waste and resource use.

Lookwell Investments Ltd top leadership meets DR Congo’s Minister for Environment, Sustainable Development and New Climate Economics, Bahati Tito Arlette (2ndR), on the sidelines of COP30 in Belem

"Our project seeks to process  500,000 tonnes or more of organic waste annually, generate 100 GWh or more of clean electricity, produce 350,000 tonnes or more of organic fertilizer, and reduce emissions by approximately 20 million tonnes or more of CO₂e [carbon dioxide equivalent] each year," added Kayongo.

He said the CleanBreeze Biogas Solutions project is anchored on modern anaerobic digestion technology, an advanced process that converts organic waste into biogas and organic fertilizer through controlled biological decomposition. 

The system integrates smart waste-sorting, automated digestion units, and real-time monitoring sensors that track gas output, temperature, and microbial efficiency to ensure optimal performance. 

"This innovative approach allows us not only to generate clean, renewable energy but also to produce high-quality organic fertilizers that restore soil health and enhance agricultural productivity," said Kayongo.

The CEO said the CleanBreeze Biogas Solutions demonstrates how technology, sustainability, and economic transformation can come together to deliver a smart, scalable, and replicable solution for the DRC and the entire African region.

Waste material is seen on a flooded street in the Limete district of Kinshasa on October 19, 2024 after the Kalamu river overflowed its banks following torrential rains

Climate financing key

Last year, a report from two research groups said DRC, a country rich in strategic natural resources, is in a position to play a leading role in the fight against climate change.

However, the report from New York University-based Congo Studies Group and the Congolese Ebuteli Institute said it receives very little climate finance in return.

To increase climate financing, the country must put in place "good governance, an adequate business climate, socio-economic and political stability, and a transparent regulatory framework".
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 PHONE VIDEO   Watch Kayongo delivering his presentation in Belem  👇🏽