Germany has announced a major financial commitment to Brazil newly launched rainforest protection fund, pledging €1 billion over the next decade to support global efforts to curb deforestation and strengthen climate action. The announcement was made at the UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, where Brazil unveiled an ambitious framework to safeguard the world’s tropical forests.
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva confirmed the pledge on Wednesday, calling it a crucial boost for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a global mechanism designed to reward rainforest conservation and penalise deforestation through satellite-based monitoring. The system aims to directly support countries that protect their forests while ensuring accountability for those that allow degradation.
Germany Environment Minister Carsten Schneider and Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan said the partnership reflects a shared responsibility for one of the planet’s most essential ecosystems. “This is about protecting tropical rainforests, the lungs of our planet,” they said in a joint statement, emphasising the forests’ role in cooling the atmosphere, storing carbon and sheltering vast biodiversity.
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility TFFF is positioned as one of the most ambitious global climate financing mechanisms ever proposed. Brazil estimates the fund could eventually reach $125 billion, with an annual distribution of around $4 billion once fully operational. This would nearly triple the current worldwide financing available for forest protection.
Rainforests across the world, especially in the Amazon basin, have faced unprecedented pressure from agriculture, mining and land expansion. Cities like Manaus, once ringed by dense forest cover, have seen rapid environmental losses, intensifying the urgency of international intervention.
The TFFF has already attracted major global support. Norway has pledged $3 billion over ten years, and both Brazil and Indonesia will contribute $1 billion each. Founding member nations include Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, all of which host critical tropical forest regions.
The facility will be governed by an 18-member board with equal representation from rainforest nations and donor countries. The World Bank will initially serve as trustee, overseeing the structure during its early years. Up to 70 developing nations could ultimately benefit from the programme. While recipient countries will have full freedom to decide how to use the funds, at least 20 percent of the financial support must be directed to Indigenous and traditional communities, who are often the most effective custodians of forest landscapes.
During its official launch earlier this month, 53 nations signalled their support for the initiative, including 19 potential investor countries. Brazil is urging wealthy nations to commit an initial $25 billion, with a further $100 billion expected from private-sector and philanthropic sources. The fund explicitly excludes investments linked to fossil fuels.
As global temperatures rise and deforestation accelerates, the promise of stable, long-term financial backing is being viewed as essential to preserving the world’s rainforests. Germany’s €1 billion commitment adds momentum to this emerging model of climate responsibility, with hopes that more nations will follow.