In a significant panel discussion held on Monday, October 28, alongside Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, five nations officially pledged their support for the ambitious Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF) during a gathering in Cali, Colombia. The participating countries—Germany, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Norway—committed to collaboratively develop the operational framework of this innovative mechanism, which is set to be launched at COP30 in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.
The TFFF was initially introduced by Brazil during COP28 in Dubai, aiming to incentivize and financially reward developing nations that prioritize the conservation of their vital tropical forests. This groundbreaking initiative focuses on channeling capital into green assets, using the financial returns to ensure the preservation of these essential ecosystems. It is structured to provide payments for every hectare of standing tropical vegetation preserved while also imposing penalties on areas that are deforested or degraded. This innovative approach additionally allocates resources aimed at protecting biodiversity and upholding the rights of traditional territories, ensuring the sustainability of essential environmental services.
Minister Marina Silva emphasized the transformative potential of the TFFF, stating, “This initiative offers large-scale financial incentives for developing countries to conserve their tropical rainforests, compensating them with a fixed annual payment for each hectare of forest that is preserved or restored.” According to her vision, the Fund seeks to create a robust framework that rewards forest conservation efforts and ensures ongoing financial support for Brazilian tropical rainforests, particularly in alignment with Brazil’s goal of achieving zero deforestation by 2030.
Colombian Minister of the Environment and COP16 President, Susana Mohammad, noted that the TFFF model will enhance the predictability of resource flows and significantly bolster public initiatives aimed at ecosystem preservation. She stated, “Countries endowed with natural resources seek a stream of sufficient, predictable, and stable financial support for public institutions, thereby reinforcing governance over critical ecosystems. Such governance can, in turn, unlock value for various economic sectors, including nature-based tourism and sustainable agriculture.”
HOW IT WORKS — The TFFF is designed to facilitate payments sourced from financial resources that individuals and organizations voluntarily invest in a dedicated invest-fund managed under the program’s auspices. By pooling resources from various stakeholders—including countries, sovereign funds, and pension funds—investors are directed towards more profitable operations that align with the goals of the TFFF, eschewing conservative investments that yield lower returns.
Another noteworthy innovation within the TFFF framework is the streamlining of monitoring and verification processes, leveraging advanced technologies such as satellite imagery to accurately assess conserved areas. This model respects the individual monitoring systems of each participating country, adhering to criteria that have been set in advance.
Additionally, the architecture of the mechanism encourages countries to establish national or sub-regional programs designed to support environmental conservation. These initiatives will benefit from extra contributions aimed at supporting protected areas, preventing deforestation, promoting the bioeconomy, and providing financial resources to indigenous peoples and local communities that play a crucial role in conserving tropical rainforests.
BIOECONOMY — On Tuesday, October 29, during COP16, the National Bioeconomy Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change hosted “Financing the Bioeconomy for Impact at Scale,” focusing on the pivotal role of bioeconomy in contributing to biodiversity preservation and combatting climate change.
The MMA will introduce the National Bioeconomy Strategy [Estratégia Nacional de Bioeconomia] along with several developmental initiatives, including the National Plan for the Development of the Bioeconomy [Plano Nacional para Desenvolvimento da Bioeconomia] and the National Plan for the Sociobioeconomy [Plano Nacional da Sociobioeconomia].
Key themes of the discussion encompass pivotal innovations such as training programs for credit agents targeting sociobioeconomy, as well as engaging banking professionals to facilitate access to low-interest financing for entities such as family farmers, extractivists, and indigenous and traditional communities. The event will also take a comprehensive Pan-Amazonian perspective on the bioeconomy, discussing crucial public policies and funding initiatives.
The presentation of the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands [Política Nacional de Gestão Territorial e Ambiental de Terras Indígenas/PNGATI] showcased effective shared management practices that promote the sustainable use of biodiversity.
Representatives from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation [Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade/ICMBio] and the National Indigenous People Foundation [Fundação Nacional dos Povos Indígenas/FUNAI] reinforced the critical importance of collaboration between governmental authorities and indigenous communities for maintaining environmental balance, alongside the necessity of policies that effectively demarcate indigenous lands to conserve biodiversity and uphold climate stability.
On the second day, themed “Endangered Species and Threats to Biodiversity,” participants were presented with the National Forest Inventory [Inventário Florestal Nacional/IFN] platform, introduced by the Brazilian Forest Service [Serviço Florestal Brasileiro].
This initiative meticulously collects forestry and socio-environmental data across Brazil, employing samples, morphological assessments, and interviews with local communities to elucidate their relationship with biodiversity. The IFN has already successfully cataloged 63% of the national territory and documented 18,000 species, including 13 newly identified species.
The third day of discussions featured the event “Connecting Agendas: Towards the Integration of Climate and Biodiversity Conventions,” examining the interconnectedness of the climate and biodiversity crises. Experts and speakers highlighted that a more integrated approach will strengthen efforts to protect the environment, advocating for collaborative initiatives that encompass governmental, civil society, and local community stakeholders.
In the panel on “Promoting ocean-based climate actions in NBSAPs and NDCs: challenges and opportunities for Latin America,” delegates from Chile, Colombia, and Brazil shared valuable insights and initiatives aimed at embedding ocean conservation strategies within climate and biodiversity dialogues. The speakers astutely noted the ocean’s role as a climate regulator and proffered recommendations to achieve biodiversity and climate objectives effectively.
DEBATE — A robust debate unfolded centered on responses to “biodiversity emergencies” in light of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The session examined the ramifications of the climate crisis on exacerbating biodiversity challenges, with experts from Brazil, Colombia, and South Africa proposing the establishment of a biodiversity governance and financing task force focused on addressing subnational needs.
The fourth day of discussions focused on “Protected and Conserved Areas.” The inaugural panel featured insights from Ministry representatives, outlining the current status of Conservation Units and Indigenous Lands in Brazil, underlining their importance in safeguarding biodiversity. The session titled “Long-Distance Trails: The Role of Infrastructure Restructuring as a Connectivity Tool” shed light on Brazil’s strategic focus on enhancing landscape connectivity.
One of the highlights was the presentation of the Brazilian Trails Network [Rede de Trilhas do Brasil], an exemplary model demonstrating synergy between various government levels and the private sector, effectively advancing connectivity among protected areas. Another discussion centered on the ongoing advancements in South-South dialogues focusing on Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), which are critical to fulfilling Goal 3 of the global framework, aimed at securing protection for 30% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.
The event successfully convened representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and NGOs hailing from biodiverse regions like South America and Central Africa, united in their quest for collaboration and joint solutions for conservation efforts.