Norway is the first country to contribute up to USD one billion to a Brazilian fund to reduce deforestation in the Amazon. Reducing deforestation can provide the largest, quickest and cheapest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the short term.
01/10/2008 :: “Norway has to reduce its own emissions, but we must also contribute to reductions in other parts of the world,” said Prime Minister Stoltenberg in connection with signing the agreement on the Norwegian contribution to the fund during his recent visit to Brazil.
The Brazilian Environment Minister Carlos Minc (left), Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim in the Amazon on 17 September. Photo: Office of the Prime Minister / Scanpix.
Importance of Brazil
Deforestation of tropical forests accounts for some 20% of man-made CO2 emissions. Brazil has the world’s largest rainforest areas, and it efforts to combat deforestation are therefore particularly important.
In addition to reducing emissions, reducing deforestation will also help to preserve biological diversity and areas used by indigenous peoples.
Performance-based funding
The amount Norway pays into the fund will depend on how successful Brazil is in reducing deforestation. Moreover, the Norwegian contribution will only be paid if deforestation in the year in question is lower that the average for the previous ten years.
The Norwegian contribution to the Amazon fund was announced when Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg met Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasilia on 16 September. Photo: Office of the Prime Minister / Scanpix.
Improved monitoring
Up to 20% of the fund can be used for further development of Brazil’s systems for monitoring deforestation. Norwegian expertise on radar satellites for monitoring the Arctic will be transferred in this connection.
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs