Suriname’s pledge to protect tropical forests far surpasses UN target goals

The Surinamese government has committed to permanently protecting 90% of its tropical forests, a move conservationists describe as one of the most ambitious climate and biodiversity pledges ever made by an Amazonian nation.

The announcement was made during an event held as part of Climate Week in New York City, coinciding with the 80th UN General Assembly. Suriname’s Foreign Minister Melvin W.J. Bouva presented the pledge on behalf of President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who assumed office two months ago, according to the Washington Post.

“We understand and accept the immense responsibility of stewarding over 15 million hectares of tropical rainforest in a world that is seeing her forests fall day in and day out,” Geerlings-Simons said in remarks released by her office.

The pledge significantly exceeds the UN-backed “30x30” global target, which aims for countries to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030. The announcement comes just weeks ahead of the COP30 climate summit, to be held in Belem, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

Suriname, which was part of the Dutch Kingdom until its independence in 1954, already has the world’s highest proportion of forest cover, with roughly 93% of its territory cloaked in tropical rainforest. Most of this remains primary forest, untouched by logging, agriculture, or mining.

Scientists note that Suriname is one of only three countries globally—alongside Bhutan and Panama—that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits, making its forests a vital “carbon sink” and a critical buffer against global warming.

Conservationists hailed the move as unprecedented for the Amazon, a region where deforestation has climbed again this year despite international pledges to reverse forest loss.

“This sets a new standard for the Amazonian region as a whole, which has suffered from serious deforestation in recent decades,” said Russell Mittermeier, chief conservation officer at Re:wild, a global conservation nonprofit.

By Nazrin Sadigova