The United Kingdom announced today (2) that it will donate an additional £35 million (about R$215 million) to the Amazon Fund. The announcement was made by the United Kingdom’s Minister for Energy Security, Claire Coutinho, at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 
In May, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had already announced an 80 million pound (about R$500 million) contribution to Amazon’s fund. The agreement to transfer this first amount was signed this Saturday (2), during COP23.
The agreement was signed with Aloizio Mercadante, President of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES). Public Development Bank is responsible for managing the Amazon Fund. Environment Minister Marina Silva was also present.
Created in 2008, the Amazon Fund was considered a major international effort to reduce global warming gas emissions and protect forests. Countries like Norway, Germany, USA, Switzerland and now, the United Kingdom are donors to this fund.
Since its establishment, the Amazon Fund has received R$3.4 billion and has financed more than 102 projects to protect forests and promote sustainable operations in the Amazon, with a total investment of R$1.75 billion.
Restart
In 2019, during the government of Jair Bolsonaro, then Environment Minister Ricardo Salles shut down two groups responsible for managing the resources of the Amazon Fund, making project financing and continuity of donations impossible.
The existence of these groups is a contractual condition of the donors, which prevents the money from being used for other purposes. According to data from BNDES, between 2019 and 2022 Brazil stopped investing about R$3 billion in environmental measures, which was retained in the fund even after the steering committees were dissolved.
In October 2022, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ordered the union to take necessary steps to reinstate the Amazon fund. At the time, most of the ministerial committees concluded that extinction was unconstitutional because it would constitute a government failure in its duty to protect the Amazon.
Re-established by President Lula by decree on January 1, 2023, the committees resumed their activities, allowing for new resource contributions.
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