BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany fundamentally supports a fund proposed by Brazil aimed at protecting rainforests but has not yet decided how much to contribute, government sources in Berlin said on Thursday.
As host of the COP30 climate talks, Brazil will launch its flagship Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) next week with the aim of raising $125 billion to help conserve endangered forests.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who will be attending the talks, finds the idea very interesting, said the sources.
However, the specific financial contribution must be left open for the moment, they added. Germany’s development minister has indicated that intensive talks on the amount are underway.
According to government sources, Merz is due to meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the trip.
Lula in September pledged to contribute $1 billion to the fund and urged other nations to make equally bold contributions to ensure that TFFF, which counts the World Bank as financial manager, could become operational during the climate talks.
Merz’s trip is also intended to send a signal that countries must continue to cooperate to support climate protection, said the government sources.
This is particularly relevant given the U.S. had not registered any high-ranking representatives for the talks.
(Reporting by Holger Hansen, Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Madeline Chambers)
Comments