Norway pledges $3 billion to help save the congo basin rainforest as new global funding initiatives launch

The world’s second-largest tropical rainforest may finally be getting the financial lifeline it desperately needs. At recent climate talks in Belém, Brazil, two groundbreaking funding initiatives were announced that could transform conservation efforts in Africa’s Congo Basin, with Norway leading the charge through a massive $3 billion commitment.

The centerpiece is Brazil’s newly unveiled Tropical Forest Forever Fund (TFFF), which has secured an impressive $6.7 billion in total pledges. Norway’s substantial contribution represents nearly half of this funding, demonstrating the Scandinavian nation’s continued leadership in forest conservation finance. Alongside this major initiative, the Canopy Trust officially launched with $93 million already raised and an ambitious goal of mobilizing $1 billion by 2030. This innovative trust uses a blended finance approach, combining public and philanthropic money to attract private investment for sustainable forest enterprises in the Congo Basin.

These new funding mechanisms arrive at a critical time for the Congo Basin, which has struggled with inconsistent financial support despite decades of conservation promises. While previous efforts like the Congo Basin Forest Fund (2008) and the Central African Forest Initiative have channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to the region, results have been mixed and funding often unreliable. The latest initiatives represent a more systematic approach to forest finance, offering hope for sustained, equitable funding that local communities and governments have long awaited. Success could provide a crucial model for protecting other threatened tropical forests worldwide while supporting local economic development.