Highlights

Training for sustainable management of tropical forests
© European Communities

As the UN climate talks are under way in Poznań, EU ministers for the environment meeting on 4 December have called for moves to stop deforestation by 2030. This goal should be part of a global climate deal in Copenhagen next year, with possible financial mechanisms to help developing countries cut their deforestation emissions.

Nearly a third of the world's land area is covered by forests. Not only do they offer major economic and social benefits for man, but they also provide biodiversity and habitats for half the world's species. Moreover, forests play a crucial role in the planet's ecology, especially in the global carbon cycle, as they store huge amounts of CO_2, reducing the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

However, the global forest cover is declining and forests are being degraded in many places, especially in the tropics. While the causes of deforestation are complex, forests are often destroyed for short-term gain, with no regard for sustainable forest management and land use. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, deforestation accounts for 20% of CO₂ emissions, which is more than the greenhouse gas emissions of the entire EU. This is why the Council has agreed that it is essential to reduce emissions from deforestation in order to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

In their conclusions, the ministers supported the aims of halting global forest cover loss by 2030 and reducing gross tropical deforestation by at least 50% by 2020 compared to current levels.

More information:
Council Press release (pdf) 
Council webcast of press conference