WWF has praised the Government of Brazil for its landmark US$1 billion investment in the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), announced as a transformative step for nature and climate finance. Brazil’s commitment is notable for broadening the investor base to include governments that were historically aid recipients, alongside traditional donor countries and private investors. WWF is calling on other governments to follow Brazil’s lead and invest in this high-impact initiative to mobilize large-scale forest finance beyond traditional grant-based assistance.
The urgency of such investments is underscored by the continued loss of tropical forests. In 2024 alone, 6.7 million hectares of primary forest were lost, highlighting that the world is off track to meet the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation set by over 140 world leaders. Inadequate finance remains one of the major barriers to progress in addressing deforestation and protecting forest ecosystems.
The TFFF presents an innovative, market-based solution that delivers financial returns for investors while generating long-term benefits for tropical forest countries. It includes mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to access and direct at least 20% of payments, ensuring that investments support those who are most directly involved in forest stewardship. This approach blends climate and nature ambition with scalable financial solutions, creating a model that could be replicated in other environmental finance initiatives.
While WWF acknowledges that the TFFF alone cannot close the forest finance gap or fully offset the economic incentives to convert forests for agriculture, mining, or other uses, the facility is seen as a cost-effective and scalable tool to address nature loss and climate change. WWF emphasizes that TFFF investments should complement, not replace, other nature and climate commitments.
WWF urges governments to join Brazil by making long-term loans or guarantees as sovereign sponsors ahead of COP30, stressing that the natural world is in crisis and that timely action is critical. Leaders from WWF International, WWF-Brazil, WWF-UK, WWF-Norway, and WWF-Germany have all expressed support, highlighting the importance of the TFFF as a key opportunity to reverse forest loss and drive innovative climate finance.
