Minister: Germany to announce contribution to Lula's rainforest fund

Germany will announce the size of its contribution to Brazil's new rainforest fund in the coming days, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider promised on Saturday after arriving in Belém for the final week of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30).

Berlin has pledged to support Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), which aims to reward countries financially for preserving their rainforests in an effort to combat deforestation.

"I have been holding talks on this in Berlin over the last few days and I hope that we will be able to say exactly how much money will be involved in the very near future," said Schneider. "But you can rest assured that if Germany does this, it will be done properly."

Expectations of the German government are high at the climate summit after Chancellor Friedrich Merz promised a "substantial sum" from Germany during his visit last week.

According to Brazil's estimates, the fund, with a target volume of $125 billion, could distribute around $4 billion annually after an initial start-up period, nearly three times the current volume of international forest financial aid.

Brazil and Indonesia have each pledged $1 billion. Both countries host extensive tropical forests.

Environmental organizations called earlier this week for Germany to match its close partner Norway's contribution. Oslo has announced its intention to contribute $3 billion to the fund over 10 years.

Schneider's first day in Belém included visits to local projects and businesses in the Amazon around the city. He was shown how rubber is extracted and acai berries are harvested, and also visited a park project funded by Germany.