December 11
2023
on
06:30

Norway gave $50 million to the Amazon Fund

In its 15th anniversary of signing the Amazon Fund at COP28, Norway today announced a contribution of 50 million dollars to Brazil’s efforts to reduce deforestation.

– A 50 percent reduction in deforestation in the Amazon by 2023 is another result of President Lula’s ability to take targeted action. This is important for Brazil and the world, said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

This is the first contribution from Norway since 2018.

– The Amazon Fund is now increasingly important to stop deforestation and contribute to sustainable development in the Amazon, and it is therefore only right that Norway contributes 50 million dollars to this effort, said Støre.

These payments were made possible due to a budget settlement with SV, where an additional 1 billion was set aside for rainforest conservation.

– The reason why we are announcing this now is the budget settlement with Labor and SV, where an additional 1 billion in funding goes into rainforests. This allows us to do more than we otherwise could, Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen told NRK in Dubai.

Environmental policy spokesman Lars Haltbrekken (SV), told NRK that the payment to Amzonasfondet was “absolutely fantastic”.

– It is important that we support Brazil’s important efforts to protect the rainforest. Taking care of it is critical in the fight against the climate crisis, Haltbrekken said.

The Amazon Fund was created by President Lula in 2008 to enable the receipt of international contributions to Brazil’s efforts to stop deforestation.

But in 2019, funding from the Amazon Fund for new projects was frozen, following the previous Brazilian government’s decision to abolish the Amazon Fund.

As reappointed president, Lula signed a presidential order on January 1, 2023, which restored the Amazon fund’s governance structure so that the Amazon Fund could be reactivated.

– After several years of increasing deforestation in Brazil due to Bolsonaro’s destructive policies, Lula has succeeded in reversing the trend and starting to care for Brazil’s rainforests again, Haltbrekken said.

Eriksen also praised President Lula for his strong leadership.

– Once again, President Lula shows that strong and well-targeted policies produce results. It is a great honor to celebrate 15 years of the Amazon Fund together with Environment Minister Marina Silva today, said Eriksen.

Since the start of this collaboration, Brazil has reduced emissions from deforestation equivalent to Norway’s territorial emissions over almost 80 years.

– These are some of the most important climate steps we have taken during our 15 years of cooperation with Brazil, and they contribute to emissions reductions equivalent to 79 times Norway’s total emissions, Eriksen told NRK.

As of 2018, Norway has provided funds amounting to NOK 8.3 billion since it was founded in 2009. Norway is the largest contributor to this fund.