The world has made a big pledge to end deforestation. It quickly went off track.

Despite some progress last year in curbing deforestation, the world is well off its target of halting forest loss by the end of the decade, new analysis reveals became.

The Forest Declaration assessment, released Monday, provides a comprehensive glimpse into the health of the world’s forests, one year from more than 140 countries that account for 90% of the world’s forests. Involved To end deforestation by 2030.

“Achieving the 2030 zero deforestation target would require a 10% reduction in global deforestation each year from 2021 to 2030.” Erin Matson, a senior consultant at Climate Focus, one of the organizations producing the annual report, told reporters at a press conference. “6.3% less deforestation in 2021. This is a good start, but we’re not on the 10% trajectory. “

“The situation is not rosy yet,” she added.

Although the deforestation deal at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, last year was widely celebrated, there are many reasons to be skeptical that it will lead to meaningful change. In 2014, dozens of countries signed the New York Declaration on Forests, setting goals to halve deforestation by 2020 and completely end it by 2030.

A year after COP26 in Scotland, the world is already digging another hole. According to the report, in 2021 the world will lose 6.8 million hectares of forest (roughly the size of Ireland). In the tropics, pristine primary forests he reduced by 3.1%.

In a statement accompanying the release of the Forest Declaration Assessment, David Gibbs, research associate for Global Forest Watch at the World Resources Institute, said: We are moving rapidly towards the round.

Officially known as the New York Declaration on Forest Progress Assessment, the report used deforestation data from 2018 to 2020 to establish a baseline for comparison.

One of the biggest obstacles to halting deforestation is a severe lack of investment. Protecting and restoring forest ecosystems on a global scale is estimated to cost up to $460 billion annually. Reports show that an average of $2.3 billion is spent each year, less than 1% of what is needed.

“The COP26 fiscal pledges as a whole could up to quadruple that amount to US$9.5 billion a year,” but details were still lacking, Matson said. “Still, it’s only a fraction of the money we need.”

As part of the COP26 initiative, President Joe Biden pledged up to $9 billion to combat deforestation around the world by 2030. However, the funds still need to be approved by Congress.

At last year’s summit, Biden said, “Protecting forests and other ecosystems will play an important role in meeting ambitious climate goals as part of the net-zero emissions strategy we all have.” “The United States can and should lead by example at home, allowing other forest and developing nations to set and achieve ambitious actions to protect and restore these carbon sinks. I will help you do that.”

Forest-rich countries that signed last year’s pledge include Brazil, China, Colombia, Congo, Indonesia and Russia. John KellyHe is the Biden Administration’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.

However, as an expert Said At the time, there was little reason to take Brazil’s deforestation pledges seriously. A report on Monday said the South American country continues to move in the wrong direction under far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, a climate change denier who has overseen record deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. emphasizes the

Brazil remains the largest contributor to deforestation on the planet, according to an assessment, with deforestation rates increasing by 3% last year.

“With strong government mandates, private sector action, and whole-of-society engagement, this is a country where deforestation could be significantly reduced if solutions were put in place,” Matson said. You mentioned a decrease. From 2004 he took place in Brazil between 2012.

Deforestation rates also increased in Bolivia, Paraguay and the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year.

This report is not without its bright spots. The assessment reveals that tropical Asia is the only region on track to meet the 2030 target. This is largely due to the progress made by Indonesia and Malaysia, the only countries that have reduced their deforestation rates each year over the past five years. In Africa, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have reduced deforestation by 13% and 47% respectively in 2021 through concerted efforts to make their cocoa trade more sustainable.

The problem with the latest deforestation targets falling behind so early is the need to close the gap, Matson said. And he’s only eight years away from 2030.

“If we don’t do that, it will be harder to meet that total annual deforestation reduction target each year,” said Matson. We recommend that stronger action be taken to regulate people and level the playing field.”