Jack Hurd’s Post

Deforestation rates in Colombia fall to the lowest rate this century. Halting and reversing rates of tropical deforestation can often seem like an impossible and depressing task, but the Minister of the Environment in Colombia, Susana Muhamad has announced this week new rates that show a reduction of 38% - to the lowest rates in the millennium. The figures show a reduction from 122 thousand hectares in 2022 to 79 thousand hectares in 2023 – which is an area about the size of New York. This is against a backdrop of losses of around 170 thousand hectares in 2020 and 2021, and a maximum of more than 219 thousand hectares in 2017. Reasons given for this reduction are a complex mix of public and private sector actions, including: 🌳 Government action to develop agreements with the communities living in the region. 🌳 The contribution of authorities such as the prosecutor's office, the military forces and the police that have dedicated greater resources to the persecution and prosecution of illegal deforestation. 🌳 The most favourable conditions in terms of public order and regional advances within the framework of the total peace process that the government has promoted. 🌳 Efforts made through international cooperation programs that have a presence in the areas with the highest risk of deforestation. 🌳 Greater awareness through the private sector with large marketers and small producers through spaces such as the Zero Deforestation Agreements that TFA has been promoting. These are factors that still need to be strengthened and deepened, and there are still challenges that must be faced such as land grabbing, agricultural activities carried out with bad practices, poorly planned infrastructure projects and of course illegal factors that persist in the territories. While we can take heart from these figures – and the fact that public-private sector action can reduce deforestation, there are still some signs from the figures for the first quarter of 2024 that generate some concern. https://lnkd.in/e9NN2yVN #Deforestation #Colombia #TropicalForests

Dramatically reducing deforestation can be done as shown in Colombia. If public and private actors realize a smart mix of measures and incentives

For once some good news 🤞 Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by at least 60% in July compared to the same month last year, the environment minister, Marina Silva, has told the Guardian. Tasso Azevedo, a forest engineer and founder of the MapBiomas analytical group believes the slowdown is due to a combination of factors: - the resumption of embargoes and other protection activities by the government, - improved technical analysis that reveal where problems are occurring more quickly and in more detail, - greater involvement by banks to deny credit to landowners involved in clearing trees, - and also wariness among farmers generated by the European Union’s new laws on deforestation-free trade. It may be no coincidence that deforestation has not fallen as impressively in the cerrado savanna, which is not yet covered by the EU’s controls Deforestation is reversible and we have all the means to act. #climateaction

Amidst a global deforestation crisis, two countries are showcasing a different path. - Brazil: Achieved a 36% reduction in primary forest loss between 2022 and 2023. - Colombia: Saw deforestation nearly halved in the same period. Let us explore the policy tools that these comparative achievements are based on: - Effective Laws and Governance. The progress in both countries is attributed to leadership changes that have prioritized environmental reforms. - Protected Areas: The most effective method to prevent deforestation, with about 17% of the planet's lands currently conserved. - Indigenous Land Management: Low deforestation rates in Indigenous territories due to traditional practices or remote locations less likely to be converted to agriculture. - Strategic Location of Protected Areas: To mitigate climate change, protected areas must be placed in regions with the highest threat of deforestation. #deforestation #NatureRestoration #EarthRegeneration #PrimaryForests #Biodiversity

Initiatives for #ClimateSecurity often address all forms of environmental change in the round, but it is an important truth that other factors may be (situationally) much more significant than climate. Good short read on numbers, and one killer graphic, for deforestation trends in Bolivia.

🌳 Brazil and Colombia are better protecting their tropical forests, but pressure from intensive agriculture and livestock worldwide continues to worsen global deforestation. This is the factor that most of all affects the loss of primary forest and forest cover in general, in front of fires aggravated by climate change. In 2023 the world’s forests fell by 37,000 km2, an area as large as Switzerland, with chainsaws working at the rate of the equivalent of 10 football fields per minute.  Last year the decreases in Brazil and Colombia – which show how effective, and in a short time, the political will to tackle deforestation – were counterbalanced by increases in Congo (+3%), Bolivia (+27%), Indonesia (+27%)Laos, Nicaragua and other countries. Brazil led by Lula has reduced the deforestation of primary forest – the most important for the conservation of biodiversity and for the absorption capacity of CO2 – by 36%. Gustavo Petro’s Colombia halved it (-49%). #SENnews #environmnent #globalwarming #greeneconomy #solar #eolic #energy #greenenergy #solarenergy #windenergy #sustainable #sustainabledevelopment

🌿✨ Colombia deforestation falls to historic low in 2023 ✨🌿 Deforestation in Colombia dropped by 36% in 2023, marking a huge milestone in the country's efforts to protect its forests (which includes the Amazon rainforest)🌳 Key Highlights: 📉 In 2023, deforestation fell to just over 792 sq km (or 305 sq miles) from around 1,235 sq km (or 477 sq miles) in 2022. 🏞️ Specifically, in the Amazon region, deforestation declined by 38% to approximately 443 sq km (or 171 sq miles). HOW?? 🇨🇴 President Gustavo Petro's administration has prioritized environmental protection, including limiting agribusiness expansion into the rainforest. ✌️ Financial incentives for Amazonian farmers and peace talks with armed groups have been pivotal in driving this change. 🌎 Colombia has also joined other South American nations in an alliance to protect the Amazon. 🔗 Link: https://lnkd.in/eF3vw6az #Deforestation #ClimateAction #Sustainability #AmazonRainforest #Colombia #EUDR

"Protected areas of many types across many places consistently have lower deforestation. Additionally, when a forested area is in Indigenous territory or managed by Indigenous peoples, its rates of deforestation are consistently lower. The same is true when payments are made to forest communities or landowners who keep their trees standing, making the forest worth more intact than as timber or farmland. These payments place value on the services that intact forests provide – livelihood opportunities, clean water, rainfall for agriculture and their ability to store climate-warming carbon. The study also found that rates of deforestation are generally lower in forests with commodity certification programmes in place, such as shade-grown coffee and sustainably produced palm oil initiatives. Supply chain programmes, in which companies commit to reducing deforestation from their operations, consistently help keep forests intact." World Cocoa Foundation Ethan Budiansky Youssouf Ndjore Charlette Razafindralaza Timothy S. McCoy John Kehoe Jon Walker #deforestation #commodities #certification

Beto Borges recently discussed Brazil's deforestation reduction strategies with André Lima, Brazil’s Secretary for Controlling Deforestation and Controlling Territorial Ordinance within the Ministry of Environment. Here are some highlights from the conversation: 1. Deforestation Reduction Achievements: 🟩 Amazon: A significant 22% reduction in deforestation rates from August 2022 to July 2023, followed by a 55% reduction from August 2023 to April 2024. 🟩 Challenges in the Cerrado: A 27% increase in deforestation in the Cerrado biome, highlighting the need for focused efforts. 2. Impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR): 🟩 The EUDR, set to take effect at the end of this year, aims to eliminate deforestation from supply chains of agricultural products entering the EU. 🟩 The EUDR can complement Brazil’s efforts by shifting economic incentives and enhancing supply chain transparency. 3. Supporting Smallholders: 🟩 The “Union with Municipalities to Reduce Deforestation and Forest Fires in the Amazon” program provides funding, technical assistance, and sustainable livelihood support to local municipalities in exchange for reducing deforestation rates. 4. Global Collaboration: 🟩 Emphasis on the importance of international investments and cooperation to achieve zero deforestation and meet global climate goals. 🔗 Read the full article for more details on the conversation and Brazil’s strategies: https://lnkd.in/eY64_E5k #Deforestation #EUDR  #Brazil #Forests

We are off track and falling behind in halting deforestation The world's forests are in crisis according to the Forest Declaration Assessment 2023, an annual report by a coalition of environmental organizations. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀? Over 100 countries pledged to halt #deforestation and reverse forest #degradation by 2030. The pledge also saw businesses publicly commit to ending global deforestation and restoring up to 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. However, the newest numbers show that the world is going in the wrong direction on forests. 🚫 The world is off track to halt deforestation by 2030 6.6 million hectares of mostly primary forests were deforested alone in 2022 - a 4% increase in forest loss compared to 2021 🌳 Forest biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate Forest specialist species that are dependent on forest habitats for their survival or reproduction declined by 79% between 1970 and 2018 💭 Emissions from deforestation increased in 2022 6% more emissions due to deforestation compared to 2021 – totalling 4 billion tons of CO2 🌾 Commodity-driven deforestation is on the rise 4.77 million hectares of were deforested for commodities in 2022 - a 5.6% increase compared to 2021 💰$460 bn would be needed each year for forest finance Public and private finance for forests remains far below estimated needs for meeting global goals to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 📈 Low prices of forest-based carbon credits in the voluntary carbon market Carbon credit prices are far below the true costs of impactful conservation and restoration activities needed to meet the 1.5°C limit 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. The new EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products #EUDR marks a significant milestone toward addressing the issues of both commodity-driven deforestation and forestry-driven degradation as it stops products linked to deforestation or degradation from being placed on its market. Some countries with high forest loss - such as Malaysia, Paraguay, and Indonesia - have successfully reduced their deforestation rates and prove that it is possible. These countries set clear examples for others to follow.