100+ World Leaders Vow To Stop Deforestation by 2030

More than 100 world leaders promised to stop deforestation by 2030 on November 2, 2021. The pledge includes approx 85% of the world’s forests and was agreed to by leaders of Brazil, China, Russia, and the United States.

While the declaration of the pact acknowledged that the pledge will need ‘transformative further action,’ there were some measures to help it start. Countries and companies announced financial commitments to help keep forests alive, and a new set of guidelines will help stop deforestation in supply chains. Similar commitments to protect the world’s forests in past years have failed, but hopeful supporters say that this involves more countries and includes specific steps to follow.
 

The announcement comes at COP26, the UN’s climate conference taking place in Glasgow, where countries are joining together to try and slow climate change. Protecting forests is integral to that mission, as they serve as massive carbon sinks. If deforestation was a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of CO2 in the world, following China and the United States.