The European Commission has to quickly start serious new action to stop deforestation globally, according to a letter signed by Germany, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.
British news portal The Guardian reported on Monday, November 12, that in a letter to the EC it has been called to prepare measures to help meet a UN goal of halting deforestation by 2020 and to show «a leadership role, mobilising its political and market leverage, and promoting broader international dialogue and cooperation».
Globally, close to 80% of global forest loss is driven by agribusiness, even though research shows that better forest management and natural climate solutions could provide more than a third of the climate change mitigation needed by 2030.
The EU states have acted on the issue as concerns continue to rise over the election of Jair Bolsonaro as the President of Brazil. The politician has promised to designate land rights activists as «terrorists» and build a highway through the Amazon, potentially spreading deforestation to an area of rainforest larger than Germany.
