Amid stiff goals, Earth loses Ireland-sized green cover

Assessment report says COP26 deforestation targets by 2030 might not be met, 2021 saw gross deforestation of 6.8 million hectares

- NITIN KUMAR

Despite pledges by 145 nations at last year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, the world might fail to meet the twin goals, an assessment report has warned.

"Deforestation rates worldwide declined only modestly in 2021, by 6.3 per cent, as against the 10 per cent annual reduction needed as per the 2018-20 baseline to achieve zero by deforestation 2030," the Forest Declaration Assessment report said.

In the humid tropics, which host some of the richest faunas of the world, the loss of irreplaceable primary forest decreased by only 3.1 per cent, it said.

Despite encouraging signs, not a single global indicator is on track to meet the 2030 goals of stopping forest loss and degradation and restoring 350 million hectares of forest landscape, the report said.

Deforestation and degradation account for 1012 per cent of global greenhouse (GHG) emissions.