World Leaders Pledge to End Deforestation by 2030

In an ambitious move at the COP26 World Leaders Summit, more than 100 countries, representing 85% of the planet’s forests, pledged to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030. This historic declaration is known as the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson emphasized the significance of this commitment not just for climate change mitigation but also for fostering a more prosperous future. This pledge received backing from a variety of stakeholders, including China, Russia, and Brazil, indicating a wide-ranging international commitment to forest conservation.

The declaration outlines several key areas for action, including strengthening efforts to conserve forests and other terrestrial ecosystems, accelerating their restoration, facilitating sustainable trade and development policies, empowering local communities and indigenous peoples, and aligning financial flows with international goals to reverse deforestation. It also includes significant financial commitments, with more than 30 financial institutions managing over $8.7 trillion in assets pledging to move away from investments in high deforestation-risk agricultural commodity supply chains.

In addition to governmental pledges, the private sector and non-governmental organizations have also committed to supporting these goals. For instance, the Congo Basin Pledge, signed by over 10 countries and the Bezos Earth Fund, aims to mobilize $1.5 billion to protect forests, peatlands, and other critical carbon stores. Furthermore, US President Joe Biden announced the United States’ commitment to restoring forest lands and supporting the global effort to halt deforestation, with plans to mobilize billions of dollars towards these efforts.

The COP26 announcements represent a collective understanding of the urgent need to address deforestation and its impact on climate change, biodiversity, and indigenous communities. While the pledge marks a significant step forward, the real challenge lies in its implementation and the ability of these commitments to translate into measurable progress in preserving the world’s forests​​​​.