France agreed Saturday to pay Papua New Guinea $100 million and the Republic of Congo $50 million to protect their forests.

President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped to conclude a similar $60 million deal with DR Congo as he announced the partnerships at the UNs COP28 climate talks in Dubai.

Nature is the best technology available to capture and store CO2, he said, adding that we have to remunerate countries when they actively protect these forests.

The move comes a day after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appealed for the creation of a $250 billion fund to save tropical forests, which would pay 80 countries for their preservation efforts. (AFP)