UN Climate Summit - Deforestation and Climate Change September 23, 2014
by Laughlin Artz
Today, the UN Climate Summit hosted a special session on deforestation. A series of panels, focusing on topics such
as “The Role of the Private Sector – Market Disruption, Investments, Political
Cover for Reforms”” and “Indigenous Peoples and their Territories – Fundamental
to Climate Change Solutions” gave over 30 panelists the opportunity to voice
their concerns, commitments and perspectives on the current and future state of
affairs of our forests.
Over and over, it was stated that the time to act is
now. Deforestation accounts for 11% of
CO2 emissions, and every minute we destroy forest acreage the size of fifty
soccer fields.
The New York Declaration of Forests was lauded by several
panelsits as the most comprehensive and binding commitment to reverse the trend
of deforestation. The Declaration calls
for reducing deforestation levels by 50% by 2020 and ending deforestation
entirely by 2030. This plan is
consistent with keeping overall climate warming to a 2 degree C increase.
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