LONDON — The British government is divided over whether to stump up the cash for a flagship environmental pledge meant to protect tropical forests, jeopardizing a potential announcement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the COP30 U.N. climate summit in Brazil.
Starmer confirmed last week he would be attending the COP30 leaders’ summit in the Amazon city of Belém next month. The meeting will be hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a close ally of the U.K. prime minister.
At the heart of Lula’s agenda is a new plan to set up a fund of up to $125 billion, which pays out returns to donor countries and the private sector, and also supports tropical forest countries — known as the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF). Brazil has pledged an initial $1 billion and has appealed to the U.K. and other allies for support.
However, Starmer’s government is yet to confirm that it will invest public money into the scheme.
