At COP25 in Madrid today, Heads of UN agencies met for a high-level Leadership Dialogue on how to turn the tide on deforestation and committed to the common goal of helping countries reduce deforestation and improve forest management.

According to the UN, up to 23% of all greenhouse gas emissions derive from the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector.

However, a myriad of forest-based solutions taking place on the ground show the real and promising results that forests can deliver.

As President of COP25, Chile initiated the “Santiago Call for Action on Forests.” The call highlights the fact that climate change, including increases in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, is impacting terrestrial ecosystems, exacerbating existing risks to livelihoods, food systems, infrastructure, human and ecosystem health, and biodiversity.

The COP25 Presidency issued a call for action on seven essential activities, including on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing so-called “sinks” which absorb carbon.

Together with improved land management options, forests and trees could provide up to 30% of greenhouse gas mitigation required by 2030 to keep the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, the upper temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

All UN agencies at today’s high-level Dialogue committed firmly to the common goal of helping countries to reduce deforestation and improve forest management.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) underlined that addressing deforestation requires looking beyond the forest sector to identify the main drivers of deforestation:

“We need to look beyond the forests. To step up action against deforestation and forest degradation, we need to find consensus to agree on reducing footprints of agricultural commodities. We need to work with all stakeholders in supporting global efforts to turn the tide on deforestation.” – Mr. QU Dongyu, Director General.

Continue reading at: https://unfccc.int/news/at-cop25-un-agencies-commit-to-turn-the-tide-on-deforestation

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