Tropical Forest Finance at COP30: Solutions Already Working

The Amazon River in Brazil.

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 keeping forests standing. It represents a vital part of the long-term vision needed for global forest protection.

While TFFF lays the groundwork for decades ahead, a proven solution is already delivering results today through large-scale forest protection programmes — initiatives that link public policy, community leadership, and carbon finance.

Known as jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+), these programmes mobilise finance immediately, where it matters most.

The world cannot 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 $66.8 billion in annual investment in forests by 2030. The good news: the framework to mobilise that capital is already in motion, through the Forest Finance Roadmap and a portfolio approach that aligns multiple complementary tools — including TFFF, JREDD+, and restoration finance.

The Roadmap Is Clear — and It’s 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 recognises that no single mechanism can close the gap: a suite of solutions is required to reward both reduced deforestation and long-term forest maintenance.

This portfolio already exists in Brazil. The federal government’s commitment to launch TFFF demonstrates long-term ambition. Meanwhile, states such as Tocantins, Pará, and Piauí are advancing JREDD+ programmes that channel private finance directly to communities, Indigenous peoples, and smallholder farmers — with independent monitoring, benefit-sharing, and verified results under the ART-TREES standard. Tocantins alone covers 27 million hectares across the Amazon and Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse yet threatened regions on Earth.

Why JREDD+ Matters Now

JREDD+ is a state- or nation-wide approach that rewards verified reductions in deforestation. It links finance directly to government policy and land-use planning, helping regions shift from deforestation to sustainable production. Crucially, it ensures transparency, permanence, and equity: credits are issued only after independent verification, and benefits are shared with local communities through Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes.

In practice, JREDD+ allows public and private capital to flow into credible, measurable results — the kind that investors, regulators, and communities can trust. It also connects policies like the EU Deforestation Regulation with the voluntary carbon market, helping companies meet disclosure requirements under TNFD and SBTN while supporting real-world impact.

Complementary, Not Competing

TFFF and JREDD+ are complementary — two sides of the same forest finance coin. TFFF rewards nations for maintaining low deforestation rates, creating long-term incentives. JREDD+ generates near-term performance-based finance for verified emissions reductions. Together, they form the backbone of the Forest Finance Roadmap’s portfolio approach: one builds long-term durability, the other creates immediate impact.

This complementarity is visible on the ground. In Tocantins, upfront investment from Silvania, the nature finance platform backed by Mercuria, has helped establish the state’s environmental intelligence centre (CIGMA) for real-time deforestation tracking, and supported more than 40 consultations with Indigenous and traditional communities. These investments are already reducing deforestation pressures and building systems for long-term forest protection — exactly the kind of early action TFFF will later reward.

From Promises to Performance

As COP30 approaches, the global conversation on forests must shift from ambition to execution. Brazil’s leadership — from national policy to state implementation — is delivering a blueprint for others to follow. We have the plan and proof of concept. What’s needed now is action: channel capital into JREDD+ while supporting the long-term vision of TFFF. Together, these approaches can close much of the forest finance gap by 2030 and anchor a new era of durable, high-integrity nature finance.

The world will gather in Belém to discuss the Amazon’s future. The real test will be what happens after. Whether COP30 becomes a turning point or a missed opportunity depends on how quickly we act on the solutions already in hand.