On Wednesday, March 12, Ireland announced a EUR 15 million (approximately BRL 91 million) donation to the Amazon Fund (Fundo Amazônia) over the next three years. The announcement was made in São Paulo, during a meeting between the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Marina Silva and the Irish Minister of Transport Seán Canney. The contribution marks Ireland’s adherence to the group of donor countries, which will now have eight members.

According to Minister Marina Silva, the Amazon Fund is a reference in financial mechanisms that are aimed at combating deforestation and climate change. “It is a non-returnable resources fund with actions referring to the agendas of combating crime and investing in research and innovative development projects. All of this makes a difference, because what we want is a new cycle of prosperity, especially in the context of worsening climate change,” she highlighted.

The minister also stated that Ireland's membership in the Amazon Fund reinforces international recognition of Brazil's efforts in the environmental area. “Ireland’s important support represents recognition of the good results achieved by Brazil in combating deforestation, and will allow the country to advance even further in this agenda and in tackling climate change,” she added.

CLIMATE CHANGE — In a year considered decisive for actions to combat climate change in Brazil —with COP30 scheduled for November in Belém — Ireland's participation reinforces the Brazilian strategy with the resumption of the Amazon Fund, after the reconstitution of its Steering Committee by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the first day of his current government. In 2024 alone, approximately BRL 1 billion in donations contracted in 2023 and 2024 from six different countries were added to the Amazon Fund.

"Ireland's donation to the Amazon Fund is an international recognition of Brazil's effectiveness in combating deforestation and promoting sustainable development," said BNDES President Aloizio Mercadante. "This important contribution reiterates our ability to finance initiatives that protect the rainforest, strengthen communities, and boost the bioeconomy. As fund manager, BNDES will continue working to expand the positive impacts of this initiative and attract new partners that are committed to environmental preservation and tackling the climate crisis," he said.

AMAZON FUND — Managed by the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social do Brasil/BNDES) under the coordination of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima/MMA), the Fund is the world's largest initiative for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) and one of the main instruments for implementing Brazilian environmental and climate policy.

The environmental financing mechanism aims to raise donations for non-reimbursable investments in initiatives aimed at preventing, monitoring, and combating deforestation, in addition to promoting the conservation and sustainable use of the Legal Amazon. It also supports the development of deforestation monitoring and control systems in other regions of Brazil and in tropical countries.

The Amazon Fund’s portfolio of 123 supported projects adds up to BRL 3.1 billion, with more than BRL 200 million in 2024 alone. Seven countries have already made donations to the Fund: Norway, Germany, the USA, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland, and Japan, as well as Petrobras, with over BRL 4.5 billion in contributions over the Fund’s 16 years of operation. Ireland now joins this group.