Banking on the Forest: Unpacking Brazil’s COP30 Conservation Bet

This investigative reporting project delves into Brazil's Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a key innovation the country is presenting at COP30 as part of its strategy to secure long-term funding for the conservation of tropical forests. The project is divided into three parts, each focusing on a critical aspect of the proposal.

The first part explores the financial mechanism behind the TFFF, through interviews with its creators and economists who have raised concerns about its feasibility. This segment aims to provide a balanced view by examining both the promises and criticisms surrounding the project.

In the second part, the project investigates the political negotiations that Brazil has conducted in the past year to gain international support for the TFFF. Interviews with key political figures and representatives from multilateral banks will offer insights into how other countries and institutions view the proposal.

Finally, the third part focuses on the underlying motivations for the creation of the TFFF, specifically its goal to ensure the continuity of conservation policies regardless of political cycles. This section looks at the impacts of the Bolsonaro administration’s policies on protected areas in the Amazon, particularly those dependent on the Amazon Fund. The project will visit conservation units, interview local communities, and analyze how inconsistent forest preservation policies have affected these regions.

This comprehensive investigation will provide readers with an in-depth understanding of the TFFF’s potential and the challenges it faces.