On the fifth day of the 27th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 27), the State of Pará presented to the international community the Oriental Amazon Fund (FAO), a private financing mechanism for the implementation of the “Amazon Now State Plan” (PEAA). The meeting took place on November 10, in the Amazon Hub area.
COP 27 has the theme "Together for implementation", and takes place between November 6th and 18th, in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Looking at Brazil, especially the Amazon, is essential to stop the impacts caused by the greenhouse gases emissions and other forms of nature degradation. Thinking of attracting new investors committed to the protection of forests and the preservation of the quality of human life, FAO was presented as a serious and credible option.
The panel on climate finance had the participation of Rosa Lemos, executive secretary of the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio); Ana Toni, executive director of the Climate and Society Institute (iCS); Mauro O'de Almeida, Pará State Secretary for Environment and Sustainability; Avecita Chicchón, director of the Andes Amazon Program of the Moore Foundation; and Graham Watkins, leader of the Climate Change and Sustainability Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio) is the entity responsible for managing FAO, which involves financial execution, accountability and fundraising activities, with the goal of raising R$ 300 million by 2025.
At the end of the panel, a donation agreement in the amount of R$ 20 million was signed between the Government of Pará, through Semas, the Moore Foundation, donor institution, and Funbio. With this contribution, FAO has already reached R$ 31 million in only 13 months of operation.
Working with Pará is critical for Brazil and for the world. If we want to conserve the Amazon, we have to work with Pará” - Avecita Chicchón, Moore Foundation
Pará is the protagonist - Avecita Chicchón stated that nature is part of the solution. "In this new phase we have the vision of results, instead of mandates, avoiding this inflection point in the Amazon basin. We have the science; we know that about 50% are protected in some way. Our mission for the future is to consolidate this 50% in this protection, and we also need at least 20% more for effective management. Therefore, of this 20%, a good part is in Brazil, and a good part that is within Brazil is in the state of Pará. In other words, working with Pará is critical for Brazil and for the world. If we want to conserve the Amazon, we have to work with Pará. Pará is a very important part of the world's solution", said the director of the Andes Amazon Program.
The investments raised are aimed at actions linked to the PEAA, such as combating deforestation, stimulating sustainable rural production, leading and valuing traditional communities, recovering degraded areas, setting up Conservation Units, and institutional strengthening.
Secretary Mauro O'de Almeida highlighted in the panel that the continental dimensions of Pará's territory are proportional to the challenges of environmental work. However, he stressed that with the sum of efforts it is possible to trace new paths.
"The challenges are many and diverse, but with the support of institutions such as the Instituto Clima e Sociedade, the IDB, and now the Moore Foundation, which is joining us to support the Oriental Amazon Fund, we want to serve as an example that it is possible for a subnational state to conduct public policies of a magnitude, of dimensions, and in scales that are compatible with the challenges of the Amazon, and with the challenges of Pará. We want to be an example and an inspiration for other states in the Pan-Amazon to follow the same path", reiterated Mauro O'Almeida.
