France pays Congo, Papua New Guinea $150 million to save forests
France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference at the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai on December 2, 2023. Photo: AFP
- By Agence France-Presse (AFP)
- December 3, 2023 7:55 PM
France agreed Saturday to pay Papua New Guinea $100 million and the Republic of Congo $50 million to protect their forests.
President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped to conclude a similar $60 million deal with DR Congo as he announced the partnerships at the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai.
"Nature is the best technology available to capture and store CO2," he said, adding that "we have to remunerate countries when they actively protect these forests".
The move comes a day after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appealed for the creation of a $250 billion fund to save tropical forests, which would pay 80 countries for their preservation efforts.
© Agence France-Presse
