Published Thursday, October 29, 2020

The Payment for Environmental Services program, PSA, developed by the Forest Financing Fund, FONAFIFO, was recognized with the United Nations Award for Global Climate Action in 2020, in the category of “Financing of environmentally friendly investments weather."

According to the Ministry of the Environment, this award recognized 13 projects from around the world, for programs to fight climate change.

The PSA is a program that pays a basic fee to landowners for forest protection. In this way, it contributes to the conservation and recovery of the national forest areas, which is essential in the mitigation of greenhouse gases to minimize the onslaught of aggressive climate change.

Annually, through this program, approximately $28 million are paid to small forest producers, forest organizations and indigenous territories, among others, to keep their lands protected.

"The PSA is a source of income for small forest owners and small forest producers who through this program receive an income to survive," Andrea Meza, Minister of the Environment said.

According to the ministry, the 2020 winning programs were selected by an international advisory panel as part of the United Nations Momentum for Change initiative.

Winners range from the only non-carbon hotel in the Caribbean Coast, through the world's first platform fully dedicated to green bonds, or an all-female team in the solar energy sector in Lebanon.

"All of them (referring to the winning projects) are tangible proof that climate action is already being taken around the world," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said.

According to the ministry, since the PSA program creation in 1997, it has paid more than $524 million to 18,000 landowners to protect 1.3 million hectares in the country.

People interested in applying for this land protection program can call FONAFIFO at (506) 2545-3500.



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