KfW promotes global forest conservation

Around one million animal and plant species could become extinct within the next few decades. Entire ecosystems around the world are becoming imbalanced. At the World Conservation Congress (WCC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 9 to 15 October 2025, more than 9,000 representatives of the global conservation community met in Abu Dhabi, with another 1,000 joining online to discuss ways out of the crisis. Among them: the KfW Development Bank, which sent out a strong signal for international forest conservation.

Saving forests, securing the future - KfW and IUCN launch Forest Action Facility

The forests of Latin America are under pressure: deforestation, slash-and-burn practices and climate change are endangering unique ecosystems and thus the livelihoods of millions of people. At the WCC, KfW and IUCN therefore presented a new joint instrument that offers hope: the Forest Action Facility (FAF).

The initiative pools international funding and expertise to restore destroyed forest landscapes in Central and South America. It is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), managed by KfW. Together with IUCN, both are responsible for operational management. The aim is to support up to 20 projects over the next six years - ten of them in Central America and another ten in Ecuador. Further financing is also planned, for example for Africa. The FAF will also collaborate with interested private sector partners, for example to promote conservation-effective practices and respective investments in the cocoa and coffee supply chains.