This series of short profiles represents a first step in exploring the potential for co-benefits of carbon management for climate change mitigation under REDD+ in 12 countries of tropical Africa. They address the following questions:

• How much carbon is stored in the vegetation and soils of the countries?
• How does carbon storage relate to areas of importance for biodiversity (here Key Biodiversity Areas)
• How much of the land that is both high in carbon and of importance for biodiversity is protected?

These preliminary analyses are based on regional and global data. Any future work should be conducted in close collaboration with national stakeholders and institutions to ensure that national priorities are considered and best available national data are used. Further analyses could build on these first results by: improving the carbon map; integrating additional datasets on biodiversity and ecosystem services; and exploring how pressures on carbon stocks (e.g. infrastructure, mining) relate to carbon distribution.