Posted for Jeff Tollefson

The idea of creating an international fund to help tropical countries protect their rainforests has been floating around international climate negotiations for some time, but Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is apparently tired of waiting. Last week he established a fund to do exactly that with the Amazon (video here).

What he didn’t do was put any money in it. Indeed, Brazil is seeking donations to the fund to the tune of $21 billion, including $1 billion in the first year.

Brazil would retain its control over the Amazon, which is as it should be, and the funds would be used to promote various forest protection programs. It’s not clear beyond that how, exactly, it would be work, aside from the fact that it would be managed by a Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES).

Norway has apparently kicked in $100 million, and we’ll see where things go from here. The question is whether other nations will want to wait and see what comes of the climate negotiations at the UN, where negotiators from around the world are debating how to calculate deforestation emissions and create a system to fund conservation programs in tropical nations.

Many are pushing for a market-based system that would allow companies rich nations to offset emissions by protecting rainforests that would other wise be cut down. This kind of program would come with plenty of strings attached, although it could be merged with other programs – including the kind of direct aide sought by Brazil.

Image: Lula / Ricardo Stuckert/PR