Funding: November saw major new funding commitments

From the newsletter

The conservation sector secured over $7.9 billion in November, primarily at the COP30 summit. A total of $5.5 billion was pledged to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), $1.8 billion to the Forest and Land Tenure pledge (FLTP) and $55 million for a project in Somalia. The first two commitments are among the biggest global long-term forest protection funds.

• TFFF, proposed at the UNGA 2025 and legally launched at the COP30, rewards forest stewardship directly by making annual payments to countries based on how well they preserve their forests.

• The $1.8 billion from FLTP will strengthen Indigenous and community forest tenure, with a commitment to legally recognise 160 million hectares of community land by 2030 and the $55 million is for marine conservation in Somalia.

More details

• Norway pledged $3 billion to the TFFF over the next decade and Brazil and Indonesia each reaffirmed their earlier $1 billion commitments. Portugal added $1 million, France signalled it may provide up to $500 million by 2030 and the Netherlands committed $5 million to support the secretariat.

• Up to 34 tropical forest countries have endorsed the TFFF Declaration, representing more than 90% of tropical forest cover in developing nations. This includes major forest countries such as Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The fund empowers these countries with a stable and large-scale source of resources to sustain long-term environmental policies.

• The TFFF will direct at least 20% of its resources to Indigenous Peoples and local communities and build a governance system where forest and sponsor countries share equal authority. Its hybrid design blends private capital  donor and private capital at a ratio of 1:4 to make it sustainable.

• Alongside the TFFF, more than 35 government and philanthropic funders, organised by the Forest Tenure Funders Group, announced a renewed five-year Forest and Land Tenure Pledge. The new $1.8 billion commitment will help Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendant communities secure land rights across forest ecosystems.

• The pledge will also legally recognise 160 million hectares of Indigenous and local community lands. The initiative seeks to strengthen existing land laws and give communities authority to manage forests while improving access to conservation finance.

• The World Bank is funding Somalia with $55 million to boost marine conservation and sustainable fishing. Implemented by the FAO, the project will unify fisheries data and guide management of Somalia’s 3,333 km coastline. It also supports small-scale fisheries and ensures women receive at least 25% of the benefits.

Our take

• For Africa, the stakes are high. The global forest funds could channel long-term finance to African countries for keeping forests intact.

• Central Africa’s Congo Basin holds the world’s second-largest rainforest, storing more carbon per hectare than the Amazon, yet it attracts far less international funding.

• Studies indicate that the Congo Basin absorbs six times more carbon than the Amazon. It is home to the world’s largest tropical peatlands.