Plant-for-the-Planet Year Wrap: A Year Full of Impact

Between academies, tree plantings, and the COP in Belém, this year flew by. What remains is a year full of meaningful projects that challenged us, encounters that inspired us, and many moments that reminded us we can make a real difference — thanks to your support. Time to pause for a moment and look back.

New Projects & Missions: The Launch of TFFF Watch

We kicked off 2025 with a new challenge: bringing the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) closer to the public and to the German government. Protecting the world’s rainforests requires long-term solutions — and the TFFF has the potential to be one of them. But since the mechanism behind it is complex, we set out to make it easier to understand. That’s how TFFF Watch was born.

A small team at Plant-for-the-Planet spent countless hours developing a tool that makes the TFFF more transparent and easier to follow. It wasn’t always easy, but in September we finally launched the first version of TFFF Watch.

And that wasn’t the end of it. Our developer team kept going and released another version shortly after, completing TFFF Watch in November.

Creative Advocacy: Taking Chocolate Letters to Berlin

TFFF Watch was just one part of our work. Our newly formed advocacy team took things further—because the German government still needed to hear about it. And what better way to get attention than with chocolate?

We printed our message on around 520,000 bars of Die Gute Schokolade: Please invest in the TFFF and protect the rainforests. Instead of waiting for the Chancellor to stumble upon one in a supermarket, we headed to Berlin ourselves and handed out the chocolate in front of government buildings.

From Berlin to Belém: Progress on the TFFF

Despite all our efforts, Germany had made no commitment by the time the UN Climate Conference in Belém began—even as other countries announced their investments. Giving up wasn’t an option. Together with WWF, Germanwatch, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, and nine other organizations, we published an open letter to the Chancellor during COP30, calling for a USD 2.5 billion investment in the TFFF.

Just a few days before COP 30 ended, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider announced that Germany would invest one billion euros in the TFFF. While we’re not fully satisfied with the amount, we’re glad Germany finally decided to take a step forward.

The Global Ethical Stocktake: Listening to Children Around the World

This was just one of many highlights this year. Another project close to our hearts was the Global Ethical Stocktake (GES), launched alongside COP30 in Belém. It focused on the ethical dimensions of the climate crisis. Young people were invited to take part—but children were missing.

So in August and September 2025, we organized global consultations with children across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. We spoke with more than 600 children about their experiences, concerns, and hopes for a fair and sustainable future. Their insights were shared with the COP30 Presidency and displayed at the conference venue.

More Highlights at COP30: Children’s Voices Take the Stage

In Belém, together with ten Climate Justice Ambassadors, we managed to break down a major barrier. Climate negotiations are usually hard to access for children and other underrepresented groups—even though their future is at stake.

The children didn’t just observe — they actively shaped the conversation. Through pavilions, climate negotiation simulations, and high-level intergenerational dialogues, they spoke directly with decision-makers, including the COP30 leadership and international figures. Their message was clear: if adults fail to protect the world, there is no future for children. Their presence noticeably changed the atmosphere at COP30 and showed how essential it is to include children in spaces like the UN Climate Conference.

We’re incredibly proud of this achievement—made possible above all thanks to Luciano Frontelle, Managing Director of Plant-for-the-Planet Brazil.

What’s Next

The year may be ending, but our work continues. We’re excited to keep creating spaces where children can be heard, empowered, and placed at the center of the climate conversation. In the coming year, we’ll also introduce the new Global Ambassador Council — the youth body of Plant-for-the-Planet elected this year. And our work on TFFF Watch and advocacy is far from over. There’s still work to be done to improve the TFFF and ensure it remains transparent and well-funded to truly protect the world’s forests.

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