The COP28 is an important event for the world’s tropical forests, both if stronger commitments and actions are achieved as well as if they are not, as this means allowing for continued deforestation, inadequate policies and increasing exposure of tropical forests to stress induced by climate change.
This year’s COP takes place in the United Arabian Emirates in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023.
Tropical forests will play a role in some of the sessions and events, such as “Strategic Pathways for Land Restoration & Conservation: Multi-stakeholder Deliverables & Actions towards 2030 Breakthroughs” (9 Dec, 13.00 -14.30 (GST)), where deliverables achieved in the past year and release actionable plans and commitments for the upcoming year and beyond will be announced. Another session (9 Dec, 10.00-12.00 GST) will focus on the Amazon specifically: “The Amazon Ecosystem: Reshaping opportunities for the future”.
Related to the Amazon (and other tropical forests) there were some news a few days ago, when Brazil announced its plans to propose a “huge” fund to conserve tropical forests at the COP28. Brazil’s Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment André Corrêa do Lago presented the idea of a tropical forest conservation fund at a meeting with ministers from seven other Amazon rainforest countries. The fund is supposed to help conserve tropical forests in 80 countries worldwide. The fund would not value forest conservation in terms of carbon, but would instead be linked to the area of forest (in hectares or square kilometres).
As Reuters reports, the international proposal to conserve forests will be partnered with a domestic program to reforest destroyed areas. Brazil also will launch plans at COP28 for an ‘Arc of Restoration’ to counter the so-called arc of deforestation that is advancing ever deeper into the Amazon.
We are curious to follow up on proposals like the one from Brazil as well as on the general developments at COP28.
There are several events that you can watch live. Check out the schedule and links to the webcasts here: https://unfccc.int/COP28/schedule
Further reading on the fund announced by Brazil: