Suriname’s president demands payment for forest conservation at un climate summit

At the UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Brazil, Suriname is making waves with a bold proposition: countries that protect their forests should receive financial compensation for their environmental stewardship. President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who took office in July, is leading this charge on behalf of her nation, which boasts an impressive 93% forest cover and stands as one of only three countries worldwide with net-negative carbon emissions.

“People who actually took care of the forest and it’s still there … don’t get anything. They get a pat on the back and that’s it,” President Geerlings-Simons told Mongabay reporter Max Radwin. She argues that while international frameworks like the Paris Agreement theoretically support compensating forest guardians through mechanisms like Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes, these systems fail to deliver in practice.

Suriname faces a classic conservation dilemma: balancing environmental protection with economic development. The country has committed to preserving 150,000 square kilometers (58,000 square miles) of rainforest through protected areas and recognition of Indigenous and Maroon territories. However, it also plans to pursue offshore oil projects to fund this conservation effort. President Geerlings-Simons frames oil revenue as essential for strengthening oversight of gold and bauxite mining operations while investing in sustainable tourism and infrastructure.

Her argument highlights a fundamental challenge in global climate policy: forests contain valuable resources like gold, diamonds, and bauxite, yet keeping them intact for the planet’s benefit currently offers no financial return to the countries making this sacrifice.