Africa cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Tropical forests provide the continent with unmatched climate, ecological, and economic value. The TFFF offers the financial tools to reward African nations for the global service which our forests provide, while empowering local communities, strengthening governance, and advancing climate leadership.
COP30 has been hailed as the “Nature COP,” with forests taking centre stage in global climate diplomacy in a way we have not seen in decades. Brazil, as host, deliberately elevated forest protection to a defining pillar of global climate ambition. At the forefront of this shift is the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a transformative financing mechanism that could reshape forest conservation across Africa.
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For African nations with significant tropical forests — from the Congo Basin to West Africa — TFFF offers a historic opportunity to secure predictable, long-term revenue for protecting one of the continent’s most valuable assets.
A Game-Changing Model for Forest Finance
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For decades, African forest nations have been asked to conserve forests for the global good, yet financing has been unpredictable, short-term, and insufficient. The TFFF changes this paradigm. With a $125 billion global investment fund, the facility uses its annual returns to reward countries for maintaining and expanding tropical forests.
Payments are tied to standing forest cover, not just promises, creating a direct incentive to conserve and restore forests over decades. Critically, 20 per cent of all funds are reserved for indigenous peoples and local communities, ensuring that those who have safeguarded Africa’s forests for generations benefit directly.
Africa’s Forest Potential
Africa is home to the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest rainforest, spanning the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic. Together, these forests absorb over 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually, making them critical for global climate stability.
TFFF’s dedicated 20 per cent allocation for local communities represents a paradigm shift: for the first time, indigenous peoples and forest-edge communities receive direct, predictable benefits. These funds can support alternative livelihoods, payments for ecosystem services, sustainable agriculture, and community-led restoration, ensuring that conservation aligns with social development.
West Africa is also forest-rich. Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire contain remaining blocks of the Upper Guinean Forest, which are biodiversity hotspots and carbon-rich landscapes. In East Africa, Madagascar and Tanzania host forests vital for biodiversity and water security.
The TFFF provides a financial lifeline for these countries. Early projections suggest that African forest nations could collectively earn hundreds of millions of dollars annually, based on performance. For the DRC and Gabon, the returns could reach several hundreds of millions of dollars, while West African nations like Ghana and Liberia could see tens of millions per year, enabling scaled restoration and community projects.
Empowering Communities and Promoting Equity
African forests are home to more than 80 million people whose livelihoods depend directly on forest ecosystems. Historically, many of these communities have borne the cost of conservation without adequate compensation.
TFFF’s dedicated 20 per cent allocation for local communities represents a paradigm shift: for the first time, indigenous peoples and forest-edge communities receive direct, predictable benefits. These funds can support alternative livelihoods, payments for ecosystem services, sustainable agriculture, and community-led restoration, ensuring that conservation aligns with social development.
COP30: Political Momentum for Africa
The TFFF was formally launched at COP30 with more than $5.5 billion in initial pledges from Brazil, Indonesia, Norway, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal, backed politically by over 50 countries. Complementing this, the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), which I co-chaired with former US Secretary of State John Kerry from 2022-2024, outlined a global roadmap estimating $3–6 billion annually would be needed to close the tropical forest finance gap.
The forest finance revolution has begun. We, Africa, must lead it, shape the rules, secure a fair and equitable share of resources, and ensure that the our forests, and the people who protect them, finally receive their rightful value.
Norway’s $3 billion, 10-year pledge, the largest public contributor demonstrates, that the world is finally ready to commit meaningful resources to forest conservation. These are resources Africa can access to enhance and uplift the lives and livelihoods of its forest and indigenous communities, if it positions itself strategically.
Africa’s Strategic Role
African nations must take a leadership role in shaping the TFFF. By actively participating in governance, monitoring, and implementation frameworks, we, Africans, can ensure equitable access and impactful use of these funds.
Early adopters like Ghana and Gabon have already demonstrated their capacity through high-integrity REDD+ programmes and forest restoration initiatives. Other forest nations can follow suit, creating a continental network of countries that protect forests while generating sustainable finance. (REDD+ stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. It’s a UN-led framework designed to create financial incentives for developing countries to protect their forests and reduce emissions from deforestation. The + symbol covers activities such as conservation and sustainable forest management, and enhancing forest carbon stocks.)
A Continental Call to Action
Africa cannot afford to miss this opportunity. Tropical forests provide the continent with unmatched climate, ecological, and economic value. The TFFF offers the financial tools to reward African nations for the global service which our forests provide, while empowering local communities, strengthening governance, and advancing climate leadership.
The forest finance revolution has begun. We, Africa, must lead it, shape the rules, secure a fair and equitable share of resources, and ensure that the our forests, and the people who protect them, finally receive their rightful value.
Samuel A. Jinapor, the Global Lead, Africa Centre for Nature-based Climate Action, is a former co-chair, Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), and former minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Republic of Ghana.
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