UNDP Report on Forest Conservation Funding:
A UNDP report highlights a significant funding imbalance, revealing that for every $1 invested in forest conservation, $6 is funnelled into industries that contribute to deforestation.
Highlights:
- Funding Gap: $460 billion per year is required to stop deforestation, but current funding falls far short.
- Misaligned Investments: For every $1 spent on forest protection, $6 is directed toward deforestation-causing industries such as industrial agriculture and logging.
- Ineffective REDD+: Current payments under the REDD+ program range from $5–10 per tonne of CO2, while the actual mitigation cost is $30–50 per tonne.
- Debt Burden on Developing Nations: With $11 trillion in debt, developing countries are pressured to exploit forests for short-term financial relief.
- Successful Models: Direct funding to Indigenous communities, like the Mesoamerican Territorial Fund, has proven to deliver stronger forest conservation outcomes.
