Over 25 countries pledge to end deforestation by 2030

Sharm el-Sheikh, November 7

More than 25 countries at the COP27 climate talks on Monday launched a group they said would ensure they hold each other accountable for a pledge to end deforestation by 2030, and announced billions of dollars to finance their efforts.

Britain committed to £11.6 bn climate finance

We remain committed to the £11.6 billion that we announced last year for international climate finance. The plan is to do this over five years. The exact pace is dependent on the projects being ready at the right time. Rishi Sunak, UK PM

The first meeting of the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership, chaired by Ghana and the United States, takes place a year after more than 140 leaders promised at COP26 in Britain to end deforestation by the end of the decade.

Progress since has been patchy, with only a few countries instituting more aggressive policies on deforestation and financing.

The new group, which includes Japan, Pakistan, the Republic of Congo, the United Kingdom and others – accounts for roughly 35% of the world’s forests and aims to meet twice a year to track progress.

Brazil, with its Amazon rainforest, has been omitted from the group. The statements said that around 22% of the $12 billion in public money pledged for forests by 2025, funds committed in Glasgow, had so far been disbursed.

“Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish,” UN chief Antonio Guterres told delegates, urging them to expedite the transition from fossil fuels and funding to poorer nations that continue to struggle under climate impacts. — Reuters