Over 100 world leaders promise to end deforestation by 2030 at COP26

By: Braden Gerow, Opinion Editor, The Pawprint

More than 100 world leaders promise to end and even reverse deforestation by 2030. It marks the climate summit’s first major deal. The pledge is worth close to $19.2 billion of both public and private funds. 

Brazil is included among those signing the deal on Tuesday, which, if the terms are delivered upon, could undo Brazil’s bad image for the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. 

The ultimate goal of the conference is to put a stop to climate change and, as much as possible, to reverse damage that has already been done. Deforestation is one of the key factors in global warming, because trees absorb the warming gas carbon dioxide. 

In 2014, more than 30 countries, including the United States, Canada and all of the European agreed to the first ever deforestation deadline, declaring it will be halved by 2020 and completely eliminated by 2030.

All of the countries claiming that they will sign the pledge, including but not limited to China, Indonesia, US, Canada, Brazil, and the UK, include around 85% of the world’s forests.