COP27: Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership

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At COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) was officially established. This represented a significant development in the protection and management of sustainable forests. Over 140 countries agreed to eliminate forest loss and land degradation by 2030 as part of the COP26 agreement in Glasgow last year, and the Partnership aims to make this goal a reality.
In an important research published this year, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasised the need for more action to achieve forests’ full potential in halting climate change and biodiversity loss.
Only by stepping up efforts to combat deforestation and putting other mitigating measures in place in the forest sector will it be possible to fulfil the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

27 countries have already committed to the new alliance and are committed to raising the bar in one or more of the FCLP’s focus areas. These countries are responsible for 33% of the world’s forests and more than 60% of the worldwide GDP. Securing public and donor funds to aid in implementation, supporting local communities’ and indigenous peoples’ initiatives, and promoting the preservation of high-integrity forests are some of the action areas.
“This partnership is an opportunity to implement solutions that reduce deforestation, that increase forest restoration, and that strengthen the livelihoods of individuals living in forest areas,” said Gustavo Manrique Miranda, Ecuador’s Minister of Environment and Water.
The European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen stated that “only with healthy forests can we deliver on our shared climate goals under the Paris Agreement.” “Only if our woods are healthy and undamaged can we handle biodiversity.”

To ensure accountability, the FCLP will have annual meetings and publish an annual Worldwide Progress Report that includes impartial assessments of the progress made by the entire world toward the 2030 target.
Poor nations are nonetheless making significant efforts to protect forests through the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme. REDD+ provides a thorough framework for climate action in the forest with the aid of results-based incentives for emissions reductions made in the forestry industry.
The initiative is gaining new life thanks to the growing political and financial support for REDD+ that was shown at COP27.

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Author

Maheen Tanveer

Research Associate

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