VILLARS, Switzerland, Nov 3 (IPS) – As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, all eyes are on Brazil’s proposed Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) – a bold plan to reward countries for preserving forests. It represents an essential part of the long-term vision we need for global forest protection.
But while TFFF builds the architecture for decades to come, a proven solution is already delivering results today through large-scale forest protection programs – initiatives that connect public policy, community leadership and carbon finance.
These programs are known as Jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+) and are designed to mobilize funding now, where it matters most.
The world doesn’t have time to wait. Forests are disappearing at a rate of 10 million hectares per year. To stay on track for 1.5°C, UNEP estimates that tropical regions need this $66.8 billion of annual investments in forests by 2030. The good news is that the framework to mobilize that capital is already in motion, through the Roadmap for forest financing and a portfolio approach that aligns multiple, complementary instruments – including TFFF, JREDD+ and restoration financing.
The roadmap is clear – and already working
The Forest Finance Roadmap, launched by 34 governments and partners under the Forest Climate Leaders Partnership, provides a practical framework for aligning policy, capital and accountability. It recognizes that no single mechanism can close the gap: we need a range of solutions that reward both reduced deforestation and forest maintenance in the long term.
That portfolio already exists in Brazil. The federal government’s commitment to launching TFFF shows long-term ambition. Meanwhile, states like Tocantins, Pará and Piauí – among others – are promoting JREDD+ programs that can channel private financing directly to communities, indigenous peoples and smallholders – with independent monitoring, benefit sharing and verified results under the ART-TREES standard. Tocantins alone covers 27 million hectares in the Amazon and Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse yet endangered regions on Earth.
Why JREDD+ matters now
JREDD+ is a state or country approach that rewards verified reductions in deforestation. It links finance directly to government policy and land use planning, helping entire regions transition from deforestation to sustainable production. Crucially, it also ensures transparency, sustainability and equality: credits are only issued after independent verification, and benefits are shared with local communities through Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes.
In practice, JREDD+ ensures that public and private capital can flow toward credible, measurable results – the kind of results that investors, regulators and communities can trust. It also provides the connecting tissue between policies such as the EU Deforestation Regulation and the voluntary carbon market, helping companies meet emerging disclosure requirements under TNFD and SBTN while supporting real-world impact.
Complementary, not competitive
It is tempting to consider TFFF and JREDD+ as alternatives. In reality, they are complementary: two sides of the same forest finance coin. TFFF will reward countries for maintaining low deforestation rates, creating long-term incentives for forest-rich countries. JREDD+, on the other hand, generates short-term performance-based financing for verified emissions reductions. Together they form the backbone of the Forest Finance Roadmap’s portfolio approach: one instrument ensures long-term sustainability, the other creates immediate impact.
This complementarity is already visible on the ground. In Tocantins, initial investments from Silvania, the Mercuria-backed nature finance platform, have helped establish the state’s Environmental Intelligence Center (CIGMA), enabling real-time tracking of deforestation, and supported more than forty consultations with indigenous and traditional communities. These investments are already helping to reduce pressure on deforestation and build the systems that will support long-term forest protection – exactly the kind of early action that TFFF will reward later.
From promises to achievements
As COP30 approaches, the conversation about forests must shift from ambition to implementation. Brazil’s leadership – from national policy to state implementation – is already providing a blueprint for others to follow. We have the plan. We have the proof-of-concept. What is needed is action – to channel capital into JREDD+ now while supporting TFFF’s long-term vision. Together, these approaches can close much of the forestry financing gap by 2030 and anchor a new era of sustainable, high-integrity nature finance.
The world gathers in Belém to discuss the future of the Amazon. But the real test is what happens next. Whether COP30 is remembered as a turning point or a missed opportunity depends on how quickly we act on the solutions we already have
IPS UN Office
© Inter Press Service (20251103080457) — All rights reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
#Financing #tropical #forests #COP30 #solution #working