World leaders pledge to end deforestation by 2030

The joint declaration was signed during climate talks, known as COP26, by leaders of countries that collectively make up 85 percent of the world's forests.

Among them are: Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which have some of the largest and most endangered forests in the world.

This is the largest <x0) step forward in protecting the world's forests”, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said.

The pledge will be supported by the promise to secure $12 billion of public finances from 12 countries by 2025.

This will support activities in developing countries, including restoring degraded land, addressing fires and supporting the rights of indigenous communities”, the statement said.

Experts welcomed the pledge, but remembered that an earlier agreement, in 2014, “has failed to slow down deforestation”.

There is good news that we have a political commitment from so many countries to end deforestation”, said Simon Lewis, climate and forest expert at London University College.

But, the world “was here before, with a statement in New York in 2014, “which has failed to slow down zero”, he told the BBC.

About $7.2 billion additional will come from private sector financing. Executive directors from more than 30 financial institutions will also be engaged to eliminate investments in activities related to deforestation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the unseen “ ” implies that the world “will have the chance to end mankind's long history as the invader of nature and, instead, man will become its guardian”.

Forests have disappeared rapidly worldwide, as trees are cut to support agriculture and construction.

Environmental activists want destruction to stop because forests absorb carbon dioxide emissions and thus release one of the main gases contributing to global warming.

According to Global Forest Observers, the world has lost 258,000 square miles of forest in 2020. It's a bigger space than the United Kingdom.

Currently, a forest area the size of 27 football fields loses every minute.

Five countries -- Britain, the United States, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands -- as well as some private funders also pledged the separation of $1.7 billion -- to support the preservation of forests by indigenous people.

Environmentalists say that indigenous communities are the best defenders of forests against cutters.

Talks in Glasgou aim to keep a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Scientists say that forests and so - called natural - based solutions will be vital to achieving that purpose. / REL/