Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative signals market revival for high-quality, Indigenous-centered forest conservation projects

Initiative attracts $160M in Letters of Intent from buyers and Expressions of Interest from projects covering 17M ha of threatened rainforest

Belém, Brazil – 3 November 2025 – Everland has secured Letters of Intent totaling US$ 160M from companies seeking to purchase carbon credits from a new portfolio of Indigenous and traditional community-centered forest conservation projects in greater Amazonia, to be developed with financing from its Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative.

So far, 23 projects representing nearly 90,000 local and Indigenous community members across 17 million hectares of Amazonian rainforest have submitted Expressions of Interest to the ongoing application process. 

The initiative aims to provide $50M in upfront capital to launch up to 20 new Indigenous-centered REDD+ forest conservation projects in the Amazon to be verified under the new Equitable Earth Standard – as a means to catalyze $1 billion over the first ten years of operations.

Concita Sompré, Indigenous leader of the Gavião Kyikatejê people in Pará, Brazil, welcomed the progress of the initiative, saying: “This is the kind of private sector action that climate justice demands. Today, I am filled with hope,” Sompré continued: “because through the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond, we are seeing Indigenous leadership and the private sector come together with one shared heart and one shared purpose. Together, we can build a model that values people and planet, and that can grow, multiply, and inspire others around the world.”

Speaking to the crowd of more than 50,000 gathered in Belém at Global Citizen Festival: Amazônia last Saturday (1 November) and flanked by representatives of the partnership behind the initiative, Sompré led a moment on stage to recognize the importance of the initiative as well as the dedication and commitment of the partners – including Everland, BNP Paribas, Panthera, Equitable Earth, Forest Trends, and the companies that have stepped forward to pledge their support.

Today’s news and the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative

The $160M of Letters of Intent (announced alongside an additional $2.5M charitable donation from Everland) to negotiate forward purchase agreements marks a critical step toward unlocking development financing for a new portfolio of Indigenous and traditional community-centered forest conservation projects in the greater Amazon: fully executed forward purchase agreements will enable the projects to secure development financing through the outcome bond mechanism.

Everland is continuing the process to identify and assess potential projects from those that have submitted Expressions of Interest so the initiative can provide $50M in upfront capital to further develop up to 20 Indigenous-centered REDD+ forest conservation projects in the greater Amazon, to be verified under the new Equitable Earth Standard. A first wave of five projects is anticipated to be selected by end 2025. 

Upfront capital provided through the initiative will be used to further develop forest conservation projects and implement conservation activities that, if successful, will generate high-integrity carbon credits over the 40-year lifespan of the REDD+ projects. The sale of these carbon credits is projected to channel more than $1 billion to the 20 projects over their first ten years, with communities receiving the majority of this revenue to invest in their own self-determined goals. For all projects in Brazil, communities will receive at least 70% of revenue.

An important focus for the initiative will be supporting projects located within priority landscapes established by Panthera that form the Jaguar Corridor – a mosaic of landscapes that connect and protect jaguar populations alongside countless other species. Through this partnership, Panthera will serve as biodiversity adviser to the initiative – particularly on apex species like the jaguar – making their expertise available to all the projects the initiative supports. 

“By investing in the long-term stewardship of the Amazon’s ultimate guardians – Indigenous and traditional communities – this initiative takes us closer to realizing the vision of the Jaguar Corridor first championed by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz. Panthera will proudly make our cutting-edge science and decades of field experience available to the projects the initiative supports, helping to guide how they measure and monitor biodiversity and maximizing impact for jaguars and other threatened species. This work forms part of our broader effort to drive a paradigm shift in conservation finance – one that values the bond between communities and wildlife, and secures the future of the landscapes we share,” said Dr. Frédéric Launay, CEO, Panthera.

Global context 

An October 2025 UN report found that to meet international climate, biodiversity and land restoration targets, annual global spending to protect and restore forests needs to triple by 2030. And while Indigenous Peoples have been the foremost protectors of the world’s forests for millennia, they receive only a fraction of the investment needed to continue their essential role in conservation.

As Everland’s global analysis showed, REDD+ projects are a proven and scalable solution to drive finance directly to communities, to fund communities’ own priorities and help avert climate and biodiversity catastrophe. However, the market for REDD+ projects has stalled while buyers wait for next-generation methodologies and for institutional investors to catalyze market growth. 

But now – in expectation of the new Equitable Earth Standard – we have already seen $160M of indicative interest from the market in the Indigenous Amazon Outcome Bond initiative.

Additional quotes

“This is the moment for courage. Science shows us what’s at stake – the survival of life on Earth as we know it – and the truth reminds us of what’s right: to protect the forests and stand with and invest in the Indigenous guardians who protect them. For too long, hesitation and doubt have replaced action. Now, we have a clear, credible path forward, built on respect, partnership, and integrity. The question is no longer if we can act, but whether we will – while there’s still time. To every company that has ever claimed to care about the planet: join us now. The window is open, but it will not stay open for long,” said Gerald Prolman, Executive Chairman, Everland.

“Today’s news is an important step toward ensuring that climate finance reaches the communities protecting our most vital ecosystems. Through our new standard, we are proud to provide the technical foundation to translate the initiative’s investments into lasting, verifiable outcomes for forests, people, and climate – setting a new benchmark for integrity and impact in nature-based finance,” said Manuela Yamada, Director of Certification, Equitable Earth.

“The scale of interest from both prospective buyers and projects shows that the world is finally beginning to recognize what Indigenous Peoples have always known: protecting forests is inseparable from supporting the communities who safeguard them. By channeling investment toward projects seeking certification under the Equitable Earth Standard, this initiative sets a new benchmark for how private capital can drive climate action grounded in equity, integrity, and Indigenous leadership,” said Beto Borges, Director, Communities and Territorial Governance Initiative, Forest Trends.