Our Goals
Our Goals
Raise : $ 40M
Saving the Brazilian Amazon
Last year , Rainforest Trust launched an ambitious , multi-year strategy to protect 20 million acres of rapidly disappearing Amazon rainforest by the end of 2026 , seizing an extraordinary political opportunity presented by the election of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva . To accomplish this , we announced plans to raise $ 40 million to directly fund urgent projects to save the rich and fragile ecosystem from imminent threats — a plan that is receiving robust support from our donors .
The Amazon ecosystem is arguably the most critical terrestrial ecosystem on the planet for maintaining climate stability ,
Shown here , is the equivalent of 20M acres — the same size as the state of South Carolina — in relation to what ’ s left of the Amazon rainforest .
BRAZIL
regulating regional weather , and preserving biodiversity . Its vast rainforests recycle rainwater five times and drive natural climate cycles that support life as we know it . More than one-third of the world ’ s terrestrial species live there , and 123 billion metric tons of CO 2 equivalents are stored in and below the forests — more than four times the combined annual emissions of the top 10 CO 2 -emitting nations .
To Protect : 20,000,000 acres 6B mT of CO₂e 70 threatened species
Eighteen percent of the Amazon has already been destroyed , primarily for cattle agribusiness . In Brazil , millions of acres of undesignated public lands are under intense threat from land-grabbing for ranching and agriculture , mining and logging , threats that are amplified by improvements to a 540-mile highway that cuts through rainforest in Western Brazil and countless miles of illegal roads .
Fortunately , environmentally committed President Lula will govern Brazil until his term ends in 2026 . He has pledged to protect a significant portion of the 141 million acres of governmentcontrolled rainforest that is not yet legally designated . This protection will also reduce the incidence of forest fires , limiting deforestation and keeping carbon stores safely locked in the forest .
The Amazon by the Numbers
16
123 Billion mT of Carbon Equivalents Stored
more than four times the combined annual emissions of the top ten carbon-emitting nations
Rainforest Trust 2023 Annual Report
1 / 3 of the World ’ s Terrestrial Species live in the Amazon