Trillion Trees welcomes the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use

Over 100 leaders – representing 85% of the world’s forests – have committed to reverse and halt forest loss and land degradation by 2030.

Trillion Trees welcomes this announcement today at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and looks forward to seeing the full implementation of the commitments made. The commitment is supported by pledges of $12 billion in public funds, from 12 countries, to protect and restore forests, alongside over $7 billion of private investment. This finance for forests is necessary to ensure implementation of pledges are feasible.

John Lotspeich, Executive Director of Trillion Trees said,

“It’s fantastic that world leaders have finally stepped up to take action against the devastating effects of deforestation. Yes, we must restore forests and plant trees to achieve the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. But at the same time, if forests continue to disappear at the current catastrophic rate, all this work will be to no avail. And frankly, the silence around the value of intact forests has been deafening.”

“We welcome today’s pledge and commitment to end deforestation by 2030 - showing that this is finally being taken seriously. What remains to be seen is whether those who have made these commitments will deliver them through practical action. There can be no delay: we must act now to secure our planet’s future.”

They key commitments included are

1. Conserve forests and other terrestrial ecosystems and accelerate their restoration; 
   
2. Facilitate trade and development policies, internationally and domestically, that promote sustainable development, and sustainable commodity production and consumption, that work to countries’ mutual benefit, and that do not drive deforestation and land degradation;
   
3. Reduce vulnerability, build resilience and enhance rural livelihoods, including through empowering communities, the development of profitable, sustainable agriculture, and recognition of the multiple values of forests, while recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as local communities, in accordance with relevant national legislation and international instruments, as appropriate;
   
4. Implement and, if necessary, redesign agricultural policies and programmes to incentivise sustainable agriculture, promote food security, and benefit the environment; 
   
5. Reaffirm international financial commitments and significantly increase finance and investment from a wide variety of public and private sources, while also improving its effectiveness and accessibility, to enable sustainable agriculture, sustainable forest management, forest conservation and restoration, and support for Indigenous Peoples and local communities; 
   
6. Facilitate the alignment of financial flows with international goals to reverse forest loss and degradation, while ensuring robust policies and systems are in place to accelerate the transition to an economy that is resilient and advances forest, sustainable land use, biodiversity and climate goals. 

Representative countries who have signed this Declaration must remain committed to shifting the financial and operational policies necessary to ensure that these pledges are implemented well.