The agreement by 110 countries at COP26 in Glasgow to halt and reverse deforestation within the decade is very good news. But what will it take for change to actually happen?
This is not the first time world leaders have made such a commitment – the successes and failures in the fight to save one of the world’s most critically important ecosystems give us some clues.
Timothy J. Killeen is a conservation scientist with expertise in botany, forest ecology and natural resource economics. His book A Perfect Storm in the Amazon Wilderness was produced with support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Andes and Amazon program.
Governments and investors could save $248 billion a year, protect the environment, and benefit local communities by replacing or complementing newly built infrastructure with plants, trees, and other natural alternatives, according to a first-of-its-kind study from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
At an event at COP26 in Glasgow, a new $345 million, seven-year program, The Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Program (FOLUR), will launch projects in 27 countries, targeting the production and value chains of eight key commodities: beef, cocoa, coffee, maize, palm oil, rice, soy, and wheat. FOLUR aims to transform global food and land use systems through a Global Platform and 27 country projects that restore degraded landscapes and intensify sustainable land management practices.
The Global Environment Facility has announced 10 new winners of its Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation, a competition that provides seed funding for innovative initiatives designed to help vulnerable countries cope with the worsening climate crisis.
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America, and the Walloon Government.
Today in Glasgow, we announce contributions totaling $413 million USD[i] to the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), hosted by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
In a show of support for those most at risk from climate change, 12 donor governments have pledged $413 million in new funding for the Least Developed Countries Fund during the COP26 climate summit.
The LDCF, hosted by the Global Environment Facility, is the only dedicated source of climate resilience funds for the 46 Least Developed Countries, which have contributed the least to carbon emissions and face some of the highest risks from the effects of climate change.
With vehicle emissions in the headlights at COP26, the United Nations and Global Environment Facility today announced plans to help 27 developing countries accelerate their shift to zero-emissions electric mobility.
