Germany will contribute €1 billion over ten years to a new fund aimed at protecting rainforests. The announcement was made by Environment Minister Carsten Schneider and Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan during the global climate conference in Belém. In a joint statement, they emphasized: “It is about protecting the tropical rainforests, the lungs of our planet.” Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva had earlier highlighted Germany’s role. Her government launched the Tropical Forest Fund and invited all nations to participate. Rainforests are vital for climate protection: they absorb large amounts of greenhouse gases, cool the climate through water evaporation, and provide habitats for countless species of animals and plants. Yet they are threatened by deforestation for agriculture, grazing, or gold mining. Under the Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF) model, countries preserving their forests will be rewarded, while penalties will be imposed for each hectare destroyed, monitored via satellite imagery.
Sources - Agencies
