Brazil’s Rainforest Fund: A Risky Gamble That May Undermine America’s Environmental and Economic Interests

Brazil’s announcement of a $5.5 billion pledge for its Tropical Forests Forever Facility at the UN climate summit might sound like a win for global conservation efforts. But behind this glossy facade lies a complex financial structure and geopolitical gamble that warrants critical scrutiny from an America First perspective. Is Brazil’s Rainforest Fund More Smoke Than Substance? The core idea is to turn deforestation economics upside down by paying countries to preserve rather than destroy tropical forests—a bold claim on paper. But the financing mechanism relies heavily on debt issuance—up to $25 billion initially leveraged into $125 billion—rather than direct...