North East Scotland Pension Fund becomes signatory of the Belém Investor Statement on Rainforests
The North East Scotland Pension Fund (NESPF) has signed the Belém Investor Statement on Rainforests, as part of a group of global investors representing almost USD 3 trillion in assets.
This initiative, ran in collaboration with Rainforest Foundation Norway, calls on governments to adopt and enforce policies to halt and reverse deforestation and ecosystem damage by 2030. The statement urges alignment with international commitments including the COP28 Global Stocktake and the 2021 Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use.
The Belém Investor Statement positions deforestation as not just an environmental concern, but a financial risk that affects the global economy. In 2024 alone, the world lost 6.7 million hectares of tropical forest equating to 18 football pitches every minute. Forest loss has a huge impact on climate stability, biodiversity, and ecosystem services (including soil and water) that global markets and portfolios depend on. The damage of rainforests therefore results in systemic and financial risk for investors.
By joining the Belém Investor Statement on Rainforests, the NESPF and fellow signatories are calling on governments to safeguard rainforests and provide economic security, by:
- Promoting deforestation-free and legal trade
- Strengthening transparency and disclosure requirements
- Enforcing robust forest protection laws
- Aligning public finance and national plans with nature goals
The Statement has been sent to policymakers in both rainforest countries and countries importing forest-risk commodities ahead of the COP30 negotiations which take place in Belém, Brazil during November. To date, 30 institutional investors have joined, with the Statement open for signatories until 1st November.
To view the joint statement click here.
