So far, 23 projects representing nearly 90,000 local and Indigenous community members across 17 million hectares of Amazonian rainforest have submitted Expressions of Interest to the ongoing application process.

The initiative aims to provide $50M in upfront capital to launch up to 20 new Indigenous-centered REDD+ forest conservation projects in the Amazon to be verified under the new Equitable Earth Standard—as a means to catalyze $1 billion over the first ten years of operations.

Concita Sompré, Indigenous leader of the Gavião Kyikatejê people in Pará, Brazil, welcomed the progress of the initiative, saying: “This is the kind of private sector action that climate justice demands. Today, I am filled with hope,” Sompré continued: “because through the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond, we are seeing Indigenous leadership and the private sector come together with one shared heart and one shared purpose. Together, we can build a model that values people and planet, and that can grow, multiply, and inspire others around the world.”

Speaking to the crowd of more than 50,000 gathered in Belém at Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia last Saturday (1 November) and flanked by representatives of the partnership behind the initiative, Sompré led a moment on stage to recognize the importance of the initiative as well as the dedication and commitment of the partners – including Everland, BNP Paribas, Panthera, Equitable Earth, Forest Trends, and the companies that have stepped forward to pledge their support.

The $160M of Letters of Intent to negotiate forward purchase agreements marks a critical step toward unlocking development financing for a new portfolio of Indigenous and traditional community-centered forest conservation projects in the greater Amazon: fully executed forward purchase agreements will enable the projects to secure development financing through the outcome bond mechanism.

Everland is continuing the process to identify and assess potential projects from those that have submitted Expressions of Interest so the initiative can provide $50M in upfront capital to further develop up to 20 Indigenous-centered REDD+ forest conservation projects in the greater Amazon, to be verified under the new Equitable Earth Standard. A first wave of five projects is anticipated to be selected by end 2025.

Upfront capital provided through the initiative will be used to further develop forest conservation projects and implement conservation activities that, if successful, will generate high-integrity carbon credits over the 40-year lifespan of the REDD+ projects. The sale of these carbon credits is projected to channel more than $1 billion to the 20 projects over their first ten years, with communities receiving the majority of this revenue to invest in their own self-determined goals. For all projects in Brazil, communities will receive at least 70% of revenue.

An important focus for the initiative will be supporting projects located within priority landscapes established by Panthera that form the Jaguar Corridor —a mosaic of landscapes that connect and protect jaguar populations alongside countless other species. Through this partnership, Panthera will serve as biodiversity adviser to the initiative—particularly on apex species like the jaguar—making their expertise available to all the projects the initiative supports.

“This is the moment for courage. Science shows us what’s at stake—the survival of life on Earth as we know it—and the truth reminds us of what’s right: to protect the forests and stand with and invest in the Indigenous guardians who protect them. For too long, hesitation and doubt have replaced action. Now, we have a clear, credible path forward, built on respect, partnership, and integrity. The question is no longer if we can act, but whether we will—while there’s still time. To every company that has ever claimed to care about the planet: join us now. The window is open, but it will not stay open for long,” said Gerald Prolman, Executive Chairman, Everland.

“By investing in the long-term stewardship of the Amazon’s ultimate guardians—Indigenous and traditional communities—this initiative takes us closer to realizing the vision of the Jaguar Corridor first championed by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz. Panthera will proudly make our cutting-edge science and decades of field experience available to the projects the initiative supports, helping to guide how they measure and monitor biodiversity and maximizing impact for jaguars and other threatened species. This work forms part of our broader effort to drive a paradigm shift in conservation finance—one that values the bond between communities and wildlife, and secures the future of the landscapes we share,” said Dr. Frédéric Launay, CEO, Panthera.

“Today’s news is an important step toward ensuring that climate finance reaches the communities protecting our most vital ecosystems. Through our new standard, we are proud to provide the technical foundation to translate the initiative’s investments into lasting, verifiable outcomes for forests, people, and climate—setting a new benchmark for integrity and impact in nature-based finance,” said Manuela Yamada, Director of Certification, Equitable Earth.

“The scale of interest from both prospective buyers and projects shows that the world is finally beginning to recognize what Indigenous Peoples have always known: protecting forests is inseparable from supporting the communities who safeguard them. By channeling investment toward projects seeking certification under the Equitable Earth Standard, this initiative sets a new benchmark for how private capital can drive climate action grounded in equity, integrity, and Indigenous leadership,” said Beto Borges, Director, Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative, Forest Trends.

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Forest Trends is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1999. Forest Trends works to conserve forests and other ecosystems through the creation and wide adoption of a broad range of environmental finance, markets, and other payment and incentive mechanisms. Forest Trends does so by 1) providing transparent information on ecosystem values, finance, and markets through knowledge acquisition, analysis, and dissemination; 2) convening diverse coalitions, partners, and communities of practice to promote environmental values and advance development of new markets and payment mechanisms; and 3) demonstrating successful tools, standards, and models of innovative finance for conservation.

Everland is a specialized conservation marketing organization in the climate change mitigation business that exclusively represents the Voluntary Carbon Market’s largest portfolio of high-impact, community-centered, forest conservation (REDD+) projects. Through these projects, Everland brings together communities and corporations in common cause to protect some of the world’s most important and vulnerable forests.

Equitable Earth (formerly ERS) is a global standard for conservation and restoration projects on the carbon markets. Founded in 2020, the ICVCM-approved programme leverages leading-edge technology to certify projects that deliver real benefits for climate, nature, and livelihoods. Equitable Earth is governed independently and works in close partnership with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, governments, and project developers worldwide. 

Founded in 2006, Panthera is devoted to preserving wild cats and their critical role in the world’s ecosystems. Panthera’s team of leading biologists, law enforcement experts and wild cat advocates develop innovative strategies based on the best available science to protect cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, lions, pumas, snow leopards, tigers and the 33 small cat species and their vast landscapes. In 39 countries around the world, Panthera works with a wide variety of stakeholders to reduce or eliminate the most pressing threats to wild cats—securing their future, and ours.

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The State of Climate and Conservation Finance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities 2025 is the latest global analysis that brings together data on both climate and conservation finance flows directed to IPs & LCs. The report highlights both barriers and success stories, pointing to reforms urgently needed as the landmark USD $1.7 billion Forest Tenure Funders Group pledge ends in 2025. Our goal is to offer evidence of where the gaps remain, and to offer practical pathways toward more direct, effective, and equitable finance. 

“The climate and conservation agendas cannot succeed if the people best positioned to protect forests and their biodiversity are left underfunded and under-recognized,” said Beto Borges, Forest Trends’ Director of CTGI. “This is not just a matter of fairness, it’s about effectiveness. Without reform, billions of dollars in climate finance risk failing to deliver real impact.” 

Key findings include: 

• Finance is growing but misaligned: Less than five percent of multilateral climate finance reaches IPs & LCs directly, despite billions of dollars pledged. 

• Carbon markets fall short: The voluntary carbon market lacks clear requirements for revenue sharing with IPs & LCs, and benefits sharing is rarely reported. 

• Systemic barriers persist: Bureaucratic grant processes, weak accountability, and discrimination prevent equitable access to funds for IPs & LCs. 

• Alternative approaches show promise: Non-market approaches, such as Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement, and community-led models, like biodiversity credits, can provide more stable, equitable support. 

Recommendations include: 

1. Requiring carbon standards and funds to mandate equitable participation and revenue sharing. 
2. Supporting Indigenous- and community-led organizations’ interests on the ground, while ensuring intermediaries act as facilitators, not competitors, for access to funding. 
3. Strengthening innovative Indigenous-centered models, like impact bonds, biodiversity credits, and Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), that actively reflect local values and that provide additional funding sources beyond credits and carbon. 
4. Recognizing the importance of non-monetary benefits, including tenure security and political empowerment. 

“This report is both a diagnosis and a call to action,” said Borges. “We know that trust, tenure, and transparency work. Now is the moment to move from rhetoric to reality and ensure climate finance flows directly to communities on the frontlines.” 

Download the report, State of Climate and Conservation Finance for Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities. 

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Forest Trends is a civil society organization that works to conserve forests and natural ecosystems by promoting nature-based solutions, sustainable economies, and climate justice. Through its Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), Forest Trends has worked for over two decades in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to strengthen territorial governance, cultural preservation, and equitable access to climate finance. CTGI has a strong presence across Latin America and extensive experience in pioneering projects that intersect conservation, forest-based economies, and community leadership. 

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The series offers straightforward explanations of the key mechanisms shaping global efforts to protect forests and address climate change. Each brochure breaks down a different topic in plain language, highlights opportunities and challenges for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and Local Communities (LCs) and provides real-world examples to illustrate how these mechanisms work in practice.

Topics covered in the series include:

• Carbon and Climate Change
• Carbon Projects and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)
• Jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+)
• LEAF Coalition and ART TREES Standard
• Project Nesting
• Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
• Benefit Sharing

“Our goal with this series is to empower IPs & LCs with the knowledge they need to engage meaningfully in climate finance,” said Beto Borges, Forest Trends’ Director of the Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative. “By translating technical mechanisms into practical and approachable information, we hope to open the door for more inclusive participation in climate solutions.”

The full brochure series is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

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Forest Trends is a civil society organization that works to conserve forests and natural ecosystems by promoting nature-based solutions, sustainable economies, and climate justice. Through its Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), Forest Trends has worked for over two decades in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to strengthen territorial governance, cultural preservation, and equitable access to climate finance. CTGI has a strong presence across Latin America and extensive experience in pioneering projects that intersect conservation, forest-based economies, and community leadership.

Greendata – Center for Socioeconomic and Environmental Management and Innovation is a Brazilian organization that develops solutions to promote the value of territories, knowledge systems, and sustainable practices of traditional communities. With a focus on social technologies and participatory methodologies, it designs development strategies that are locally grounded, strengthening biodiversity-based value chains, territorial management, and environmental justice. As a key implementing partner for Forest Trends projects in Brazil, Greendata supports initiatives that promote autonomy, well-being, and community resilience in the face of climate and socio-environmental challenges.

Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By focusing where the business has unique strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social and environmental issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change.

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