Mining for critical minerals in the Congo could offer a new path to protecting Africa's vast rainforest, according to Lee White, a former environment minister of Gabon, a country where 90 percent of the land is covered by rainforest. The Congo Rainforest, spanning two million square kilometers across central Africa, is the world's largest forest carbon sink, absorbing about 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually—roughly equivalent to Russia’s yearly emissions. However, environmental experts warn that without stronger conservation efforts, the forest could begin releasing more carbon than it absorbs, turning it into a net source of emissions. In 2024, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which holds 60 percent of the rainforest, lost a record 590,000 hectares of primary forest—an area roughly equal to 825,000 football pitches. Meanwhile, the DRC government has also proposed oil and gas drilling across nearly half of its territory, raising concerns about further environmental degradation. White argues that the growing global demand for critical minerals, such as copper, cobalt, lithium, manganese, tin, and gold, essential for clean energy technologies like batteries and electric vehicles, could be a key opportunity to protect the rainforest. These minerals are found in abundance in the region, but the mining industry has often been associated with environmental harm and corruption. White suggests that responsible mining companies—those not involved in bribes and committed to transparency—could improve governance and help fund public services like schools and hospitals. He believes that such companies could also push governments to address corruption and protect the environment more effectively. White highlights that many countries in the Congo Basin, as well as much of Sub-Saharan Africa, are receiving less foreign aid now than in previous years. He argues that responsible private investment could yield better results for both people and the planet than traditional aid, which he says has not adequately addressed the region’s challenges. While rich countries often pledge support for the Congo Basin and deforestation prevention, White notes that these funds rarely reach the ground. He warns that losing the rainforest could disrupt weather patterns vital to agriculture in regions like the Sahel and Horn of Africa, potentially leading to 500 million climate refugees. The DRC is already a major supplier of cobalt, providing about three-quarters of the world's supply, which is essential for battery production. However, its cobalt industry is plagued by human rights issues, including child and forced labor, and mining conflicts have fueled regional instability. White emphasizes the importance of processing minerals locally to retain economic value. Currently, 97 percent of the DRC's cobalt is exported unprocessed to China, meaning the country captures only about 5 percent of the value. If extraction is illegal, the value captured could be zero. White supports efforts to bring more processing to the region and believes that rich countries should support such measures to help African nations benefit more directly from their natural resources.