Norwegian authorities wants Brazil to improve the country’s spending of the NOK 2,5 billion Norway has awarded to the rainforest since 2009. At least NOK 2 billion of this funding is still sitting in the bank. At the climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009, Brazil committed to reduce the cutting of the rainforest by 80 percent before 2020. Norway’s investment helped fund the Amazons Fund, and up until now the money has mainly been spent on implementing a deforestation program.

Minister of Environment Bård Vegard Solhjell and Minister of Development Heikki Holmås both traveled to the Amazons on the weekend. Solhjell will meet with the Minister of Enviroment in Brazil to discuss how the money will be spent in the years ahead.
“We are very concerned with only giving out money to projects we know work, and that will help preserve the rainforest. But we want to Brazilian government to become even better at investing these funds, and that’s what I would like to discuss with the Minister of Enviroment,” Solhjell explains.
Norway has promised Brazil at least NOK 6 billion in support for the rainforest up until 2015. Norway’s support is part of the collective effort to reduce the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions globally.
(NRK)

Ove Gusevik