At the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Forest and Climate Leaders' Partnership (FCLP) was formed. Its goal is to coordinate the actions of governments, businesses, and community leaders. This was a big step forward for sustainable forest management and conservation.

Over 140 countries made a promise at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, last year to stop the loss of forests and degradation of land by 2030. The goal of the Partnership is to make sure that this promise is carried out and that ambitions are turned into results on the ground.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) State of the World's Forests Report 2022, issued this year, emphasises the need to increase efforts to unlock the potential of forests in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. This can only be done by stopping deforestation and implementing mitigation activities to protect forests.

Over 60% of the world's GDP and 33% of the world's forests are in 27 countries that have already joined the new partnership and agreed to set an example in at least one of the FCLP's action areas.

These include getting the government and donors to help pay for implementation, supporting the efforts of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and giving people an incentive to protect high-integrity forests.

“This alliance is an opportunity to implement solutions that reduce deforestation, increase forest restoration, and strengthen the livelihoods of people living in forest areas,” said Gustavo Manrique Miranda, Minister of the Environment and Water, Ecuador.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on behalf of the European Union, said: “Only with healthy forests can we deliver on our shared climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. And only with intact, lively forests can we address biodiversity.”

Source: UNCC

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