The Nature Conservancy announces $5 million and 12 institutional investors launch the TFFF Rotterdam Statement of Support
London — The Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF) has concluded a highly successful programme of meetings and events during London Climate Action Week, reinforcing its growing momentum and international relevance in mobilising finance at scale for tropical forest protection.
“The conversations during London Climate Action Week reinforced a message we have heard consistently from governments, investors and civil society: protecting tropical forests requires financial mechanisms that match the scale and permanence of the challenge,” said João Paulo Capobianco, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Brazil. “The Tropical Forest Forever Facility was designed to help close this gap by creating long-term incentives for conservation and by recognizing Indigenous Peoples and local communities as essential partners and beneficiaries. The growing international support for the TFFF shows that we are moving from ambition to implementation, building a collective effort capable of delivering lasting climate, biodiversity and development outcomes.”
“Norway is deeply committed to TFFF’s vision of creating lasting financial incentives for forest conservation,” said Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Minister of Climate and Environment of Norway. “London demonstrated that the TFFF is steadily moving from concept to reality. The coalition behind it is growing, and support from governments, philanthropy, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, and investors continues to deepen. This is the kind of partnership the world needs right now.”
“Forests are natural infrastructure that can attract private capital, unlock jobs, and grow economies. But like all infrastructure, forests require investment,” said Valerie Hickey, Director for Environment at the World Bank Group. “The TFFF imagines a practical way to raise this finance and link it to measurable results—and the World Bank Group is proud to support this effort by providing the administrative backbone to get this initiative up and running.”
A key highlight was a significant announcement from The Nature Conservancy, underscoring strong alignment and partnership with leading environmental organizations around this innovative approach to financing nature and accelerating impact for forests and people.
“When it comes to protecting people and the planet, few actions are more urgent than conserving tropical forests,” said Jennifer Morris, the CEO of The Nature Conservancy. “That is why The Nature Conservancy is committing USD $5 million in financial support to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility. We are especially proud to be part of this powerful coalition that is taking shape in the name of conservation and restoration at scale, while facilitating direct access for Indigenous peoples, traditional and local communities, and enabling knowledge-sharing between communities and decision-makers.”
Another stand out moment was the launch of Finance for Biodiversity Foundation’s Rotterdam Statement of Support for the Tropical Forest Finance Facility. The 12 prominent founding signatories signaled their endorsement of the TFFF, welcomed its advancement, and called for investors to join them.
“This programme of TFFF events held over London Climate Action Week highlighted a growing investor interest in nature finance and how to create a credible pathway for conserving tropical forests while delivering long-term value,” said Daniel Hanna, Group Head of Sustainable & Transition Finance, Barclays. “The TFFF facility offers the opportunity to develop a targeted, credible and scalable approach that could be replicated elsewhere, helping transform how the world finances nature.”
“The TFFF mobilizes institutional capital to apply an innovative fixed income solution that will contribute to halting deforestation, a commitment we have made to our clients with the Robeco Climate & Nature transition plan,” said Peter van der Werf, Head of Active Ownership at Robeco. “The strong investor engagement we have seen at the Investor Convening we hosted on May 26 demonstrates growing confidence in the investment fund capable of delivering solid returns enabling TFFF to incentivize Tropical Forest Countries to halt deforestation. As the initiative moves closer to implementation, continued collaboration between governments and investors will be essential to capitalize the fund in the coming years. We encourage more institutional investors to sign the Rotterdam Statement of Support and help shape this innovative fund.”
The Statement of Support begins by acknowledging “the long-term risks of climate change and biodiversity loss for the global economy.” The systemic economic risks of forest loss were underscored in a paper released Monday by the Grantham Research Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, which identifies tropical forest ecosystems as “macro-critical infrastructure” that are “too big to fail,” and explores ways that institutions could recognize the economic and financial significance of tropical forest ecosystems.
In addition, TFFF contributed to roundtables with potential institutional investors focused on the role of long-term, large-scale capital in supporting forest-positive outcomes. These discussions demonstrated a growing appetite among investors to engage with this innovative proposal that can deliver measurable climate, nature, and social benefits.
TFFF held productive bilateral and multilateral meetings with government representatives from multiple jurisdictions, reflecting increasing interest from governments in this once-in-a-generation mechanism to support long-term tropical forest conservation.
“As Indigenous Peoples, we have protected the tropical forests for millennia–not as a resource, but as a living relative that sustains all life,” said Juan Carlos Jintiach, Executive Secretary of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, who belongs to the Shuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. “We now need governments, the private sector and philanthropy to invest in the Tropical Forest Forever Facility urgently as a sign of shared responsibility and respect. The at-least 20% commitment of the TFFF for Indigenous People and Local Communities will recognise that safeguarding forests also means upholding the rights, knowledge, and leadership of our people. This needs to be done directly with our Indigenous financial mechanisms. With genuine partnership and long-term support, we can ensure our forests continue to breathe for the world, while our cultures and future generations thrive.”
A packed event at the Rights and Nature Hub included representatives from co-chair governments (Brazil and Norway), Indigenous leaders and leaders from Tropical Forest Countries who detailed the ongoing, collaborative work to set up National Steering Committees for Indigenous People and Local Communities, to advance the minimum 20% dedicated financial allocation, and to ensure that TFFF remains connected with the communities on the ground in every participating country.
Indigenous Peoples and Local Community leaders met with the TFFF Interim Board about the design and operations of the Facility, discussing the governance structures that will institutionalize their ability to advise, raise concerns, and give feedback to the Board.
The TFFF Interim Board and the TFFF Transition Committee also held meetings this week, taking steps to advance the institutional set-up of the two arms of TFFF. On Monday, June 29th an event at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference will convene high-level representatives from TFFF sponsors, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and the private sector. Collectively, these meetings and events represent important steps forward for TFFF, strengthening partnerships, deepening engagement with key stakeholders, and durable groundwork for the next phase of the facility’s development.
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About The Tropical Forest Forever Facility
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) is where conservation meets capital creation. It is a once-in-a-generation facility that secures the future of tropical forests and guarantees returns for investors. This novel global funding mechanism is designed to finance the permanent conservation of tropical rainforests by directly paying countries and forest stewards to reward those that are already maintaining or increasing their forest cover.
Using blended finance, the TFFF will combine sovereign capital with private investment to create a USD 125 billion fund that generates annual payments based on Tropical Forest Countries’ performance, keeping tropical forests standing. This will position tropical forests as a globally valued asset class.
Payments are verified, and at least 20% of the funds will go to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities who are on the frontlines of forest protection. TFFF aims to value and reward the vital ecosystem services that standing tropical forests provide to the entire planet, making conservation a sustainable economic pathway for forest countries. Find out more at tfff.earth.
Media Contact: For further information or interview requests, please contact the Tropical Forest Forever Facility Media Office – press@tfff.earth
