Norway Commits $25 Million to Support Ethiopia’s Forest Conservation Efforts

The Government of Norway has reaffirmed its commitment to Ethiopia’s decade-long forest conservation partnership by pledging $25 million in funding. This announcement was made at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, underlining Norway’s dedication to supporting Ethiopia in its fight against climate change and commitment to forest protection and restoration.

Ethiopia’s ambitious efforts to reduce emissions heavily rely on forest protection and restoration.
Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s Climate and Environment Minister, acknowledged Ethiopia’s significant progress in the forest sector.

He praised the protection of vast, biodiversity-rich forests from unsustainable use, which now provide ecosystem services benefiting local communities, the nation, and the broader region.

This new commitment of $25 million supplements Norway’s substantial investment of over $162 million in Ethiopia’s forest sector over the past decade.

Norway’s support has facilitated the protection of one million hectares of natural forests, which are now managed sustainably.

Additionally, it has aided in the restoration of one million hectares of degraded forests and the establishment of 75,000 hectares of high-value plantation forests. Notably, this partnership has also created and improved the livelihoods of 300,000 individuals, as reported by the Norwegian government.

Ethiopia, in turn, has made significant pledges to ensure the sustainable use or protection of all remaining forests within its borders and aims to double its forest cover by 2030. The Green Legacy initiative, launched by Ethiopia, has been instrumental in these efforts, with more than 25 billion seedlings planted in its first phase since 2019.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed recently announced that Ethiopia aims to plant a total of 31 billion seedlings by the end of the current Green Legacy planting season.