Highlights

Mobilising Finance for Forests (MFF) continued to make significant progress in 2025 toward its mandate of protecting and restoring tropical forests through the mobilization of private sector investments. Established by FMO and the UK Government in 2021, and strengthened in 2024 by the entry of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a second funding partner, the programme is reaching a new level of maturity.

Throughout 2025, MFF focused on developing new pipeline for future years, reinforcing the operational foundations of its multi-funding partner model, and deepening its role as a knowledge leader in the forests and sustainable land use sector. These efforts unfolded against the backdrop of COP30 in Brazil, where global attention centered on the Amazon and the need for urgent action to address deforestation and land degradation.

During the year, two new investments were approved and signed which contributed to MFF surpassing $100 million deployed to date, a significant milestone in the programme’s scaling trajectory.

• The first was EcoEnterprises Fund IV, a women-led, nature positive impact investment fund operating across Latin America and the Caribbean. The fund supports biodiversity enhancing enterprises across sustainable agriculture, regenerative land management, ecotourism, and circular bioeconomy value chains.

• The second new investment was into the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF), a high-profile initiative supporting deforestation and conversion free soy production in Brazil. MFF provided a $10 million contribution to the junior tranche of the facility, which enabled the mobilization of roughly $50 million in additional capital from partners, including UK supermarkets.

Alongside these investments, MFF expanded its portfolio of Development Contributions by supporting CrossBoundary in the establishment of its Fund for Nature. This contribution will enable essential early stage fund development, pipeline preparation, and structuring work of the new blended finance vehicle.

As MFF’s activities expanded, 2025 was also an important year for operationalizing the multi-funding partner structure introduced in 2024. Meaningful steps were taken to align expectations, governance, and operational processes across the two funding partners. These efforts collectively strengthened the programme, and prepared the foundation for additional funding partners to join in the future.

Beyond investments, MFF continued to influence the broader forests and sustainable land use sector through its Learning, Convening, and Influencing Platform (LCIP). In 2025, MFF advanced its position as a thought leader by delivering knowledge products such as the MFF Blueprint and publishing Investing in Deforestation-Free Supply Chains as a Strategic Imperative, a white paper that provided practical guidance on forest-positive commodity sourcing models. MFF expanded its ESG capacity building work, with a full-day technical session targeted at DFIs, drawing on the widely used ESG Guide for Forestry Investments and contributing to stronger environmental and social practices across the sector. MFF also hosted two events for investors on ‘financing green / greening finance’ in Sao Paulo ahead of COP30. The program further enhanced its engagement with institutional investors through its newly initiated collaboration with Pensions for Purpose, laying the groundwork for deeper mobilization efforts with this group in the coming years.

Looking ahead to 2026, MFF will continue to build on the strong foundations established in 2025, with a particular emphasis on accelerating deployment and mobilization. Through its existing investments, MFF has already mobilized over $500 million in private capital. Strengthening relationships with institutional investors will remain central to continue this effort, building on the momentum established through engagements with Pensions for Purpose and other market actors.

With a strongly aligned funding partner base, a maturing pipeline, and growing international recognition of the role forests and biodiversity play in meeting global climate commitments, MFF enters 2026 well positioned to scale its impact. The programme remains committed to demonstrating that mobilizing private capital into investments that are positive for forests and biodiversity is both viable and essential for achieving long-term environmental and development outcomes.