Increased Norwegian commitment to rainforests

The Government is to increase the Norwegian commitment to rainforest conservation. In next year's budget for the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Climate and Forest Initiative will receive NOK 3 billion, and will therefore for the first time reach the level initially promised in the 2008 Climate Agreement.  

“Norwegian commitment to the rainforests is a climate measure we know works. We are now boosting this by 134 million kroner, which will help us to achieve our international ambitions,” said Climate and Environment Minister Tine Sundtoft.

If global warming is to be limited to two degrees, we need to curb the destruction of the world's rainforests. This is where Norway has contributed through the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative since 2008.

“The coalition government is today presenting a budget that ensures that the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative remains a spearhead in Norway’s international climate efforts. I am proud that we have provided three billion kroner to the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative this year, which is the highest amount given by Norway,” said Sundtoft. 

Rainforest conservation is an area where Norway plays a strong role internationally. So far, Norway has provided more than NOK 10 billion for measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation.

Adjusted priorities for rainforest efforts

Two evaluation reports on the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative (the Strategic Evaluation Report and the Norad Follow-up Evaluation) presented in 2014 give the initiative a good score on goal achievement. Based on these evaluations, the government is now making some adjustments to the future priorities of the initiative.  

• Collaboration with the private sector to be strengthened, and to be an overall strategy for the initiative.
• Measures to improve forest management to be integrated into broader processes of creating green economic growth in developing countries.   
• The Government will continue, and consider increasing, its support for an active civil society in efforts to reduce deforestation in developing countries. Read more about it here. 
• Payment for performance, primarily in the form of emission reductions, will continue to be the primary focus of the initiative.

“We are cultivating the profile of the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative. The changes in priorities mean that we will eventually be able to achieve better results, in terms of both emission reduction and poverty alleviation. It is important for me to emphasise that emission reductions and growth can go hand in hand,” said Sundtoft.

The Norwegian contribution is important

The evaluation of the Norwegian Climate and Forest Initiative presented earlier this year shows that the initiative contributes to sustainable development, the strengthening of indigenous rights and the preservation of the livelihoods of local communities.

The evaluation also showed that funding from Norway has played a key role in the progress of international efforts to conserve the world’s remaining rainforests.

Over 40 percent of the funds have gone to Brazil. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon region represent perhaps the world’s single greatest effort to reduce emissions over the past 6-8 years and have led to annual emission reductions of more than ten times the total emissions in Norway.

Further information on the Climate and Forest Initiative can be found here.