Introduction

As the global climate community converges for the 30^th Conference of Parties (COP 30) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belém, Brazil from 10^th – 21^st November 2025, forests and nature-based solutions will feature prominently on the agenda.

Hosting this year’s negotiations in the Amazon is deeply symbolic and marks a pivotal moment for tropical forest countries — including the Republic of Ghana. One of the key initiatives in play is the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a groundbreaking financing mechanism designed to reward countries for the conservation and sustainable use of tropical and subtropical moist broad-leaf forests.

Ghana has played a leadership role since the inception of the TFFF and throughout its design deliberations. For Ghana, this is more than joining another funding mechanism — it is about leveraging existing capacities, aligning national policies, strengthening monitoring systems, catalyzing private investment, and ensuring that both communities and forests benefit. With the Government of Ghana’s strong emphasis on forests restoration as a pillar of its climate and economic strategy, and UNDP’s mandate as the UN’s lead development agency working with partners to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNDP Ghana stands ready to support the country on its TFFF journey.  

This blog explores TFFF, why Ghana should seize this opportunity, and the strategic priorities to make Ghana “TFFF-ready” and forest-finance-smart.

What is the Tropical Forest Forever Facility?

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility is a Brazil-led initiative designed to provide long-term, predictable, performance-based finance to countries that conserve standing tropical forests. The initiative is premised on forest countries receiving annual payments for each eligible hectare of standing moist tropical or subtropical broadleaf forest, subject to verified forest monitoring and safeguards. More critically, it further requires that, at least 20% of all payments must flow directly to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) — recognising their central forest-stewardship role. 

The Facility is a landmark initiative designed to mobilize approximately US $125 billion in blended public and private capital to provide around US $4 billion annually in predictable, performance-based payments to tropical forest countries that maintain low deforestation rates. The Fund’s structure combines an investment facility that generates steady financial returns with a results-based mechanism that rewards countries for conserving intact forests. Governance of the TFFF is being shaped through an interim steering committee comprising forest nations—including Ghana, Brazil, Indonesia, and the DRC—and contributing partners such as Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom, ensuring balanced representation and transparency. Currently in its preparatory phase, the TFFF is finalizing its institutional, fiduciary, and monitoring frameworks, with its formal launch planned for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025.

Significance of TFFF for Ghana

Ghana, a tropical forest nation with substantial forest cover, stands to benefit from a mechanism that values and rewards standing forests rather than solely restoration/afforestation, or carbon credit schemes.

As COP 30 approaches, momentum is building around the TFFF and participation could open new multilateral and private finance opportunities. Accessing this finance would help Ghana achieve multiple national objectives: forest conservation, biodiversity protection, community livelihoods, climate resilience, and green growth.

Ultimately, Ghana has a unique opportunity to align its forest, climate, and development strategies with this new global finance architecture — but success will require decisive, strategic action and speed in several areas.

Aligning Forest Definitions and Policy Frameworks

To be well-positioned for the TFFF, Ghana needs to strengthen several inter-linked areas. One such area is reviewing existing forest definitions and policy frameworks to ensure they reflect existing globally and universally accepted ones. Using a consultative process to review definitions on aspects like canopy cover, tree height, minimum area, etc  and aligning or revising where needed ensures that Ghana has a robust approach that allows resultant national data to be compatible with criteria for current and future results-based payments facilities. At the same time streamline policy frameworks through the strengthening of cross-ministerial coordination among key line ministries and sectors such as Finance, Forestry, Environment and Agriculture, so that policies, land-use planning, and benefit-sharing align. 

Strengthen National Forest Monitoring, Reporting and Verification

Another area of focus would be to strengthen national forest monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV). Some work has already began on Ghana’s National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), in terms of enhancing data collection. Projects such as the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reductions Project, funded by the Green Climate Fund, providing resources to develop the NFMS web portal to host data, maps and other information. However, more is needed to ensure we have a robust system combining satellite data, ground-truthing, GIS, and transparent reporting. This would require integration with Ghana’s existing forest monitoring, GHG inventories, and REDD+ infrastructure.

Strengthen Benefit-Sharing and Fiduciary Management Arrangements

Ghana can also strengthen benefit-sharing and fiduciary management arrangements that have been built around ongoing arrangements linked to the current Emission Reduction Purchase Agreements. This is key as the TFFF emphasises that part of the funds must flow directly to IPLCs and requires that Ghana set up mechanisms that allows communities benefit — not just the central government. These need to be done bearing in mind the need for transparent governance, tracking of funds, safeguards against leakage, and inclusion of women/youth at all levels within the chain.

Mobilising complementary finance and investment from potential partners would also be key in this area. While TFFF provides baseline payments for forest stewardship, Ghana should use the opportunity to leverage private investors and domestic capital for forest-smart value chains (sustainable timber, non-timber forest products, ecotourism, payments for ecosystem services). This would be an opportunity to use tools like the SDG Investor Map (developed by UNDP Ghana) to attract investment into forest-aligned sectors. 

Conclusion

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility offers a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity for Ghana to transform its forest heritage into a driver of sustainable development — unlocking finance, empowering communities, catalyzing green investment, and bolstering climate resilience. UNDP Ghana with its mandate, programmes and partnerships, and leveraging its global network of expertise, is well positioned to support the Government of Ghana on this journey. Together, Ghana and UNDP can make forests part of the solution — not only for climate action, but also for inclusive growth, good governance, and thriving ecosystems.

Let COP 30 be the moment Ghana steps forward with a forest-finance vision — ready, credible, and ambitious.