More than 25 countries at the ongoing climate change summit in Egypt have launched a group to hold each other accountable for a pledge to end deforestation by 2030.
The countries also announced billions of dollars in additional financing for the effort.
Chaired by the United States and Ghana, the first meeting of the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership is taking place a year after more than 140 leaders promised at COP26 to end deforestation by the end of the decade.
Recall that at COP26 in Glasgow last year, 145 nations representing more than 90 per cent of the world’s forests pledged to strengthen conservation efforts. Boris Johnson who was UK Prime Minister at the time, said that it was a “landmark agreement”. However, critics said the pledge lacked accountability and wasn’t backed up by any strong or binding commitments.
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Since last year, there have been no meetings to follow up on this pledge and take further steps. Progress has been patchy, with only a few countries instituting more aggressive policies on deforestation and financing.
However, the new group— which includes Japan, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and others— accounts for roughly 35 per cent of the world’s forests and aims to meet twice a year to track progress.
Notable omissions from the group are Brazil with its Amazon rainforest and the Democratic Republic of Congo whose vast forests are home to endangered wildlife including gorillas.
In a statement, COP26 President Alok Sharma said that the partnership is a critical next step to collectively deliver on this promise and help keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C alive.
He said that around 22 per cent of the €12 billion in public money pledged for forests by 2025, funds committed in Glasgow, had so far been disbursed. Among the new sources of financing, Germany said it would double its financing for forests to €2 billion euros through 2025.
Story was adapted from euronews.
