Interview of the month: Sam Sambuila from Impact Eco Group

Impact Eco Group is committed to providing sustainable solutions to development challenges in the DRC. Can you explain the reasons behind the creation of Impact Eco Group and the organization’s initial objectives?

Impact Eco Group was founded in response to environmental and development challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country rich in natural resources but facing deforestation, biodiversity loss and inappropriate resource management. These challenges threaten the well-being of local communities.

One of the main motivations behind the creation of Impact Eco Group is the preservation of the environment, in particular through our commitment to protecting the Congo Basin rainforest, which plays a crucial role in global climate balance. We also aim to promote sustainable development by promoting practices that combine economic growth and environmental protection, notably by encouraging sustainable agriculture and renewable energies. Another fundamental aspect of our mission is education and awareness-raising. We believe it is essential to inform communities about environmental issues in order to encourage long-term sustainable behavior. Finally, we are committed to supporting local communities by improving their living conditions through sustainable livelihoods, and by strengthening their resilience in the face of climate change.

Impact Eco Group’s initial objectives focus on the protection and restoration of ecosystems, as we recognize the importance of preserving biodiversity. We also aim to promote sustainable agriculture, in order to ensure healthy, environmentally-friendly food practices. At the same time, we develop renewable energy projects to reduce the carbon footprint of communities. Education and training are also at the heart of our mission, as we firmly believe that knowledge is a powerful tool for change. Finally, our mission remains to establish solid commitments and partnerships to maximize our impact and ensure the sustainability of our initiatives.

In this way, Impact Eco Group positions itself as a defender of the environment while playing a key role in sustainable socio-economic development in the DRC, creating a balance between economic prosperity and environmental protection.

 

Impact Eco Group has initiated an eco-village project in Luiza, DRC, reflecting a vision of sustainable development in harmony with nature. What essential steps have you taken to ensure the success of this project, and what benefits do you foresee for the local community? In addition, how can other communities in the DRC and elsewhere in the world draw inspiration from the Luiza model to replicate the success of this eco-village?

Kasaï-Central province is rich in mineral resources, including diamonds, gold, cobalt, iron, copper, lead, manganese, chromium, clay and nickel. However, artisanal mining causes problems of erosion and deforestation. Inhabitants are often forced to cut down trees to meet their needs for energy and building materials, also using unsustainable agricultural practices such as slash-and-burn. The Luiza eco-village project aims to establish a framework for the responsible exploitation of mining resources and to discourage children and women from working in the mines.

Key stages of the project include:

• Listening to Communities: Identifying local needs to propose alternatives.
• Responsible specifications: Create specifications that integrate community needs and encourage the reduction of tree felling.
• Education and awareness: Encourage children to go back to school, by supporting government programs, and promote fun activities such as soccer.
• Distribution of Improved Seeds: Promote sustainable agriculture with adapted seeds.

The specifications were signed by traditional chiefs and validated by the Provincial Minister of Mines, thus ensuring a collective commitment.

The Luiza eco-village project serves as a model of sustainable development. By placing the interests of local communities and the national economy at the heart of its actions, it fosters a future where mining contributes to environmentally-friendly economic and social development. 

Impact Eco Group adopts an integrated approach, combining social and economic development with responsible resource management. This model has direct benefits for the community, such as job creation, access to education and health care, as well as the strengthening of local infrastructures. 

In short, the Impact Eco Group initiative represents a relevant framework for ensuring the sustainable management of mineral resources in the DRC, thereby promoting a more prosperous and sustainable future for all.

 

The DRC is recognized as a key supplier of essential minerals, such as cobalt, which are crucial to the world’s digital and energy transitions. How can Impact Eco Group’s sustainable development model set an example for the responsible management of these resources, and how might this benefit the local community and the national economy?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds a strategic position in the global supply of essential minerals, notably cobalt, vital for digital technologies and renewable energies. The country also boasts immense agricultural potential, with some 80 million hectares of arable land still largely unexploited.

The DRC also has vast forestry potential, covering some 145 million hectares, representing 47% of Africa’s tropical forests and 6% of the world’s forest reserves. This places it among the world’s top five countries in terms of forest area.

Congolese peatlands, which cover some 145,000 km², are crucial – storing around 30 billion tonnes of carbon, making them a vital carbon sink. However, they are threatened by logging, conversion to farmland and drainage which increases the risk of high amounts of carbon being released. Deforestation alters local hydrology, exacerbating the degradation of these ecosystems. If they deteriorate, peatlands could emit large quantities of CO2 and methane, intensifying global warming.

It is therefore imperative to protect the DRC’s peatlands. Their preservation is essential for carbon storage, as well as for the resilience of local communities, biodiversity and the ecosystem’s health. Without sustainable management, these ecosystems risk becoming veritable “time bombs”, ticking towards climate disasters.

Environmental policies must prioritize the safeguarding of peatlands to ensure a stable future for the planet. The Impact Eco Group model aims to mobilize sustainable finance players in Geneva to exploit this potential, offering profitable products to investors while preserving the environment on a global scale.

 

Impact Eco Group’s ongoing commitment to fighting corruption is helping to create a favorable environment for sustainable finance in Kasaï-Central. How do your anti-corruption training courses help to create an enabling environment for sustainable finance, and what role does sustainable finance play in the current context in the DRC?

For several years now, Impact Eco Group has been committed to collaborating with the Observatoire de la Durabilité de la Haute École de Gestion de Genève to initiate a vast skills development project in the province of Kasaï-Central and, more broadly, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This province, like the rest of the country, is facing significant environmental, social, ethical and economic challenges, and there is an urgent need to develop local skills in the field of sustainability. The Congolese authorities are keen to transform these challenges into real opportunities for the country.

With this in mind, discussions have been underway for almost five years to better identify needs and determine the best possible synergies. The Observatoire de la Durabilité de la Haute École de Gestion de Genève is a recognized center of competence for research, training and support on sustainability issues in the broadest sense. The institution enjoys a solid reputation both nationally and internationally.

An initial collaboration resulted in the organization of an online conference on corruption prevention mechanisms, held on May 18, 2020, with around 200 participants, including renowned experts from the International Organization for Standardization. Building on this experience, we have developed a training project aimed at strengthening local skills in several key areas, such as:

• Corruption prevention
• Sustainability
• Sustainable finance
• Carbon impact

The Haute École de Gestion de Genève is currently showing its support for this project, which aims to strengthen skills and promote ethics within the province and the country.

Despite some delays due to recent electoral challenges, our commitment remains intact. The newly elected authorities have expressed their desire to resume this training project, which they will soon formalize the Haute École de Gestion de Genève.

Impact Eco Group’s commitment to the fight against corruption is reflected in its desire to create an environment conducive to sustainable finance, particularly in Kasai-Central, but also throughout the DRC. Indeed, no financial structure can afford to invest in a context plagued by corruption and anti-values. 

Training courses on the ISO 37001 anti-corruption standard are essential to establish a favorable framework for sustainable finance, reassuring financial players about their potential investments in the DRC. It is the responsibility of Congolese political decision-makers to take the necessary steps to clean up the investment environment and ensure that the right conditions are in place for economic development.

 

Impact Eco Group is committed to building a sustainable future and strengthening the local economy in the DRC. What are your aspirations for Impact Eco Group’s future in sustainable finance, and how do you plan to expand your initiatives to maximize your impact?

Impact Eco Group is a key player in building a sustainable future and strengthening the local economy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Our initiatives aim to profoundly transform the country’s economic and social landscape through sustainable finance.

In April 2023, we established a partnership with the Birkenfeld Environmental Campus (UCB) in Germany to initiate dialogues with local authorities. Our two main objectives are to expand UCB’s activities in the DRC, notably through a partnership with ISDR-T in Kananga, and to propose a strategic development plan for the province of Kasaï-Central. This resource-rich and ideally located province has the potential to become a model of sustainability by avoiding polluting energies and promoting responsible mining.

We are committed to aligning our actions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote inclusive economic growth, while addressing the DRC’s social and environmental challenges. Impact Eco Group, with several special mandates for different provinces, is encouraging the authorities in Kasaï-Central to adopt bold measures to make this province a true example of sustainability.

With this in mind, we plan to organize an Economic Forum in Geneva in the first half of 2025, bringing together political decision-makers from the DRC, with the support of SFG.

Aspirations and Strategies for the Future

1. Sustainable finance aspirations

• Strategic partnerships: Establish collaborations with financial institutions and NGOs to access the resources needed to develop sustainable projects.
• Sustainable financial products: Create financing mechanisms, such as micro-loans, to support SMEs adopting environmentally-friendly practices.

2. Strategies for expanding our initiatives

• Digital technologies: Exploit technological innovations to improve access to financial information and promote transparency in financing.
• Lobbying for sustainability: Work with decision-makers to promote public policies that support sustainable finance, and raise awareness of the importance of sustainability in economic development.

Together, these efforts will help build a DRC where local economies thrive and sustainable practices become the norm.