Make Progress On Deforestation Pledge, Nations Urged Before COP30 March 22, 2025

A view of a former cattle ranch being reforested, Para state, Brazil (Pablo Porciúncula/AFP)

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Make Progress On Deforestation Pledge, Nations Urged Before COP30

Civil society groups and academics urged governments Thursday to take actual steps toward fulfilling a stalled pledge to end deforestation before this year's UN climate summit in the Brazilian Amazon.

But more than six million hectares (14.8 million acres) were razed in 2023 -- an area equivalent to nine million football pitches, according to an assessment in October by a broad coalition of forest-based activists and research groups.

As the alliance is known, the Forest Declaration Assessment said leaders must show progress on reversing this trend before convening for COP30 in the Amazonian city of Belem in November.

In a document outlining policy proposals, the coalition of nearly 40 non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and forest research bodies said, "In 2025, governments must take bold action to get on track. "

These could be tougher laws for conservation of environmental areas, or redressing some $470 billion spent on agricultural subsidies that harm forests.

Other recommendations included greater involvement of indigenous people in forest protection, and promoting overall efforts to put forests on the global climate and environment agenda.

The latter could get a boost under COP30 president Andre Correa do Lago, a veteran climate negotiator who has flagged that Brazil would be underscoring the "extraordinary role already played by forests".

The coalition also called on multilateral development banks to increase lending for forest protection and sustainable rural programs.

This could involve restructuring or canceling public debt for re-investment in nature conservation and making sure generally that developing countries have the incentives they need.

"To achieve these goals, donor countries should make financial support sufficient to incentivize forest countries to stop and reverse forest and ecosystem loss," the report said.

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