Investing in the future
The Amazon Fund (Fundo Amazônia) provides funding to preserve the Amazon rainforest, which is vitally important for the global climate. Here is an overview of how it works.
How is the Amazon Fund financed?
The Fund is primarily financed by international donors. The main donor countries are Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany. Through KfW Development Bank, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has so far contributed around EUR 90 million in total. The current volume of the Fund is equivalent to almost EUR 1.3 billion. The shift in policy of Brazil’s new government, which re-establishes forest protection as a priority, has also encouraged other donors to participate in the Amazon Fund. The UK, Denmark, Switzerland, the USA and Japan together paid in another EUR 100 million between December 2023 and December 2024.
What is the funding used for and who manages it?
The funds are not channelled directly into Brazil’s budget. They are allocated to specific projects. Funds are only disbursed if Brazil can provide evidence that forest loss has slowed, preventing the release of further greenhouse gas emissions. The greenhouse gas emissions prevented by the Fund to date are currently estimated at 263 million tonnes of CO2 – which is equivalent to around half of the greenhouse gas emissions of Germany’s energy sector in 2024.
The Fund is managed by the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social, BNDES). BNDES decides which projects to approve in line with the Fund’s strategy.
What is the funding used for?
Funding can be used for projects that:
- Prevent deforestation
- Improve the monitoring and control of forests
- Establish sustainable economic activities in the Amazon region (sustainable agriculture, forestry, ecotourism)
- Contribute to scientific research and education
