UK withdraws from Amazon forest protection fund ahead of COP30 in Brazil

ANKARA

The UK has decided not to contribute to a newly launched international fund aimed at preserving tropical forests such as the Amazon and Congo basin, media reports said on Wednesday.

The $125 billion Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which will be officially announced during the leaders' summit in Belem, Brazil, days before COP30, is expected to gather $25 billion from public sources and the remainder from private and financial sectors, according to The Guardian.

The UK’s decision not to invest directly has reportedly upset the Brazilian government, which had lobbied for the UK’s participation for months. “The Brazilians are fuming,” a source told the media outlet.

Although the UK has financially supported the underlying structure of the TFFF, officials say the fund is at too early a stage and that they may consider future involvement.

Prince William, currently in Brazil to present the Earthshot prize, is expected to face added scrutiny over the UK’s absence from the initiative.

Zac Goldsmith, the UK’s former climate minister, criticized the government’s stance, saying: “The UK helped design the fund, having catapulted forests to the top of the agenda when we hosted COP.”

He added that the TFFF “doesn’t require grants or aid,” describing it as a “perpetual” investment vehicle offering returns to both investors and forest nations.

Environmental groups also voiced concern. WWF-UK CEO Tanya Steele said the move was a “missed opportunity” and called the TFFF “an innovative new finance mechanism.”

Zoe Quiroz Cullen of Fauna & Flora echoed this, calling the UK’s decision “an abandonment of leadership” and urging global support for preserving “the lungs of our planet.”

Norway is expected to maintain its financial support, but Germany may also reconsider its commitment, according to the report.