Norway offers up to USD 1 billion to save the rainforest
In the years up to 2015, Norway will contribute up to 1 billion US dollar to reduce deforestation in the Amazon. An agreement to this end was signed by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg during his visit to Brazil this week.
The Norway Post - 19.09.2008 08:32
This makes Norway the first contributor to the Amazon Fund.
The size of Norway’s contribution will depend on how successful Brazil will be in reducing deforestation.
“Efforts against deforestation may give us the largest, quickest and cheapest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Norway has to reduce its own emissions, and at the same time we have to contribute towards reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in other parts of the world,” says Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
The largest rainforest areas of the world are located in Brazil.
“Brazilian efforts against deforestation are therefore of vital importance if we shall succeed in our campaign against global warming. I am impressed by President Lula’s initiative to halt deforestation, and I am happy that Norway is able to support this important task,” Mr. Stoltenberg says.
“At present deforestation in tropical countries represents about 20 per cent of the annual man-made CO2 emissions. In order to succeed in our struggle against climate change, we must be able to stop deforestation globally. In addition to the climate effect, reduced deforestation in the Amazon will also contribute towards the preservation of biodiversity and aboriginal peoples’ living areas”, Prime Minister Stoltenberg says.
Norway’s contribution to the Amazon Fund is an important part of the Government’s climate and forest programme, launched by Prime Minister Stoltenberg at the UN climate conference in Bali in December 2007. Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions due to deforestation and forest deterioration are among the quickest and most cost-effective climate efforts.
In 2008, Norway will contribute about 20 million US dollar to the Amazon Fund, while contributions for 2009 will increase to about 120 million dollar.
The agreement between Norway and Brazil also includes cooperation on research and development within the field of surveillance of tropical forests and of carbon emissions from deforestation and forest deterioration. Although Brazil has one of the world’s most advanced systems for surveillance of deforestation, a number of challenges remain. One example is that large forest areas are almost continuously covered by clouds making traditional surveillance impossible.
Norwegian experience from the use of radar satellites for environmental surveillance in the High North, may contribute to improve the surveillance of tropical forests.
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