Recently, the UN report titled “Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions for Forests” revealed significant deficiencies in countries’ pledges to protect, manage, and restore forests within their NDCs under the Paris Agreement.

Key findings from the UN Report

• Rise in Emissions: Emissions from deforestation have risen since the 2021 Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which aimed to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, promoting sustainable development and rural transformation inclusivity.
• Deforestation Trends: Latin America and the Caribbean saw a notable increase in emissions between 2019 and 2022, with Brazil being a notable exception due to its recent annual reduction of deforestation by 22%.
• Failure to meet Global targets: The report states that Nationally Determined Contributions pledges from 2017 to 2023 didn’t meet the global goals to cut and reverse deforestation by 2030.
  • Only 8 out of the top 20 countries with high tropical deforestation have set goals to reduce tree cover loss in their NDCs.”
• Inconsistent Deforestation targets: The report points out a lack of consistency in deforestation targets among NDCs, with countries employing different metrics (area-based, emissions-based) and offering varying levels of detail on implementation plans. 
• Deforestation Plans in Brazil and Indonesia: Brazil’s revised NDC doesn’t include targets related to forests, and Indonesia lacks specific commitments, despite both countries having individual action plans to reduce deforestation.
  • Brazil’s multi-agency Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm) does pledge to end deforestation by 2030.
  • The analysis discovered that Indonesia’s Forest and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 Operational Plan is targeting net zero emissions in the forest and land use sectors by 2030.
• Insufficient Commitments: The commitments in the NDCs of the top 20 highest-emitting countries regarding tree cover loss are inadequate to reach the goal.

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Key Recommendations

• Benefits of Forests: The UN report highlighted the critical role of forests, as they provide essential ecosystem services such as preserving water quality, offering habitat for pollinators, and supplying resources for communities.
  • The report also noted that forests serve as crucial carbon sinks, aiding in the mitigation of climate change.
• Causes of Deforestation: Primary causes of deforestation are agricultural expansion driven by global demand for commodities such as Palm Oil, Soybeans, and Beef
• Harmonizing Forest related initiatives: The report suggests improving, bolstering, and harmonizing forest-related initiatives outlined in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) while clearly outlining national policies.
• Collaboration: Developed and forested nations should collaborate to meet globally established objectives, highlighting the significance of collective efforts.
• Carbon Pricing Incentive: Increase forest carbon prices by $30-50 per tonne of CO2 emissions in the carbon market to encourage forest preservation.
• Involvement of Local Communities: Ensure the engagement of local communities and indigenous peoples, acknowledging their forest land and carbon rights as vital for forest protection.
• Enhanced Law Enforcement: Improved enforcement of existing laws through intensified raids on illegal activities occurring on Indigenous lands has contributed to the successful reduction in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon in 2023.

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