Governments urged to act on deforestation before COP30

Civil society groups and experts are urging governments to make real progress on a pledge to end deforestation ahead of the UN climate summit, COP30, taking place in the Brazilian Amazon later this year. A coalition of nearly 40 organizations emphasized the need for bold action to address the situation by 2025. In 2023, over six million hectares of forest were lost, equivalent to nine million football fields. This alarming statistic was noted in a report from the Forest Declaration Assessment, which consists of various forest activists and research groups. The coalition insists on the importance of showing improvements in forest conservation before the summit in November. To tackle deforestation, the report suggested several policy changes. These include implementing stricter laws for the protection of environmental areas and reconsidering the $470 billion spent on harmful agricultural subsidies. The involvement of indigenous communities in forest protection efforts was also highlighted as crucial. Additionally, the coalition called for increasing financial support from multilateral development banks for forest protection projects. They recommended restructuring public debt to allow for greater investment in nature conservation, particularly in developing nations. The report emphasized that donor countries must provide sufficient funding to encourage forest-rich countries to halt and reverse ecosystem loss. As COP30 president, Andre Correa do Lago has indicated that Brazil will focus on the vital role of forests in climate discussions.