Turquoise sea beside a forest-covered coast

Carbon Sustainability Roadmap for São Tomé and Príncipe

Climate Action

The Carbon Sustainability Roadmaps for São Tomé and for the Autonomous Region of Príncipe are the result of a phased strategic planning process oriented towards climate sustainability, resilient development and low-carbon transition, aligned with the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals.

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eco

96 KT CO2e

Natural removals quantified

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Mitigation measures proposed

monitoring

Climate mitigation sub-scenarios

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29.92 KT CO2e

Inventoried in the base year

The Opportunity

São Tomé and Príncipe has unique environmental and territorial conditions, with great ecological richness, important natural carbon sinks and strong potential for sustainable development based on the conservation of natural resources. This position is reinforced by the international recognition of the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe as UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves.

As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), the country faces high levels of vulnerability to climate change, infrastructure limitations and strong exposure to extreme weather events. In this context, the Carbon Sustainability Roadmaps emerge as strategic instruments to support public policy and strengthen national climate planning capacity.

Our Approach

The Roadmaps were developed in phases, starting with the Carbon Sustainability Roadmap for Príncipe Island and later extended to São Tomé Island, consolidating an integrated vision and a strategic basis for national carbon sustainability.

The approach combined multidisciplinary technical work, extensive collection of territorial information, climate scenario modelling and consultation with government bodies, technical partners, local communities and other stakeholders, including greenhouse gas emissions inventories, sector analysis and modelling of development scenarios up to 2050.

Impact

The Carbon Sustainability Roadmaps strengthened climate planning capacity and the definition of low-carbon strategies in São Tomé and Príncipe, creating a technical and institutional basis aligned with the country’s international commitments on climate action and sustainable development.

Results

The development of the Roadmaps made it possible to characterise greenhouse gas emissions and removals, define sustainable development scenarios up to 2050 and identify sector mitigation measures related to energy, mobility, waste, fisheries, forests and land use.

In the case of the Autonomous Region of Príncipe, the study confirmed its status as a net carbon sink, identifying an overall negative greenhouse gas balance and reinforcing the territory’s strategic potential as a benchmark for climate sustainability in island contexts.