The government has defended its funding review of several projects aimed at helping to protect the Amazonian rainforest.
The Department for International Development (DFID), responding to an article in The Independent which claimed the government would “slash” rainforest cash, said the UK’s £16.6m commitment to the £246m G7 Pilot Programme for the Conservation of the Brazilian Rainforest would be mostly met.
A DFID spokesperson said: “By 2005 the majority of the G7 programme will have come to an end and we will have met the majority of our commitment.”
The department said one £1.4m project within the funding was being reviewed, along with two other small non-G7 programmes, also aimed at improving sustainable forest management.
Ministers are reviewing funding of low and middle income countries over the next two years to re-direct money for rebuilding Iraq and helping the world’s poorest countries.
Greenpeace said withdrawing funding for the G7 project undermined the government’s commitment to stop biodiversity loss.
