Friday, 9 May 2025
No Result
View All Result
eudebates.tv
  • EU Policies
  • World
  • Special Debates
  • Events
  • Vote & Polls
eudebates.tv
No Result
View All Result

Forests will restore our relationship with the natural world

EUdebates Team by EUdebates Team
15/05/2021
in Environment & Energy
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
Tree Forest Sky
128
SHARES
1.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Join EU debates

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

SDGs will address ‘three planetary crises’ harming life on Earth

Climate Change: Τhe arrival of the Arctic tern bird may delay

Low methane greenhouse emissions to achieve global climate goals

Forests are at the core of our efforts to restore our relationship with the natural world, the deputy UN chief said on Monday at the UN Forum on Forests. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said we were at a “make-or-break moment”, adding that woodlands provide vital functions, including as guardians of fresh water sources and biodiversity protection.

“Forests are at the core of the solutions that can help us make peace with nature”, she underscored, stressing that “we need all-hands-on-deck” to support of forests worldwide.

1 million species are facing extinction. The UN Strategic Plan for Forests aims to increase forests by 3% by 2030 to provide a safe home for biodiversity 🦋🐌🐿️🐆

The Global Forest Goals Report to be released today shows if we're on track: https://t.co/UlmgTav4P8 #UNForests pic.twitter.com/ecLcGVOB47

— UN DESA (@UNDESA) April 26, 2021

Moreover, failure to protect them would have a major, negative impact on damaging and rising carbon emissions. The deputy UN chief said that forests must be adequately financed, including through alleviating debt burdens for those States which are expected to do more for woodland protection and sustainable agriculture overall.

Wide-ranging global crises

Pointing out that the world is facing “wide-ranging global crises” that are “intrinsically linked” to the health and sustainability of our environment, General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir called the discussion “particularly timely”. “Clearly our world is telling us that there is a problem in our relationship with nature”, he said, noting the impact of COVID-19, a zoonotic disease that highlights the risks associated with human encroachment; species extinction rates, which range from 100 to 1,000 times above the baseline rate; and rising global warming, with 2016 and 2020 tied as the warmest years on record.

“Unfortunately, as a society, we tend to focus on the symptoms and not the underlying conditions, and we have ignored the Earth’s messages for far too long”, said the Assembly president. “Hopefully, we can help change that”.

Building political momentum

The UN official drew attention to a high-level dialogue on 20 May that will focus on pandemic recovery and highlight how to help tackle desertification, land degradation and drought. It will encompass a “strong push around the need to use this momentous recovery effort to create jobs and shovel-ready projects that support land restoration, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as investments in sustainable land management”, said Mr. Bozkir.

He hoped that the discussion would also help support the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, degradation neutrality targets and national drought plans – in line with the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Nationally Determined Contributions of countries’ commitments to increasing climate actions through the 2015 Paris Agreement, and future commitments under the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Assembly president noted that 2021 will be “a milestone year for the three Rio Conventions on Desertification, Biodiversity and Climate Change”, adding that these important issues are linked and actions must be coordinated for maximum impact.

Forests offer hope to heal people, environment and economy.

FAO chief

“As we move from the Decade to Fight Desertification into a new Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, let us take this opportunity to renew our commitment to creating a future that is more equitable, where all people benefit from living in harmony with nature”, he said.

Forest Fires could turn Europe into a desert

forest mist

Moving forward

Liu Zhenmin, head of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, spoke about new research linking successful forest restoration with rolling back biodiversity loss and species extinction. He maintained that well preserved habitats and healthy agriculture are key pathways forward and also underscored the importance of indigenous people in forest protection and preservation, calling their role “paramount”.

“Investing in forests is investing in our future”, he said. “We must strengthen our global efforts to protect and restore forests and support the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. Only then can we realize our shared vision for a more just, equitable and sustainable world”.

Forests are key

In his video message, QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), called healthy forests the key to “building back better”. As they provide energy, food security and income while also storing carbon and housing most of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity, he said that “forests offer hope to heal people, environment and economy”.

“Our generation must be the one that halts deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate change…and achieve better nutrition, better production, a better environment and a better life”, the FAO chief said.

Forest restoration secures the path to Green Climate recovery

Forest tree timber logging

Global Forest Goals Report

The event also launched the Global Forest Goals Report 2021, which evaluates where the world stands in implementing the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. While the world had been making progress in key areas, such as increasing global forest area through afforestation and restoration, findings reveal that the worsening state of our natural environment is threatening these and other gains.

“Before the pandemic, many countries were working hard to reverse native forest loss and increase protected areas designated for biodiversity conservation”, wrote Secretary-General António Guterres in the report’s foreword. “Some of those gains are now at risk with worrying trends of increased deforestation of primary tropical forests.”

eudebates forests

Share this debate with your friends!
Follow #eudebates on Google News and on Facebook
Tags: climateClimate Changeclimate neutralityEarthEnvironmentEuropean Climate LawforestGas EmissionsPlanetSustainable AgricultureSustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Sustainable InfrastructureUnited NationsUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Share51Tweet32

Related EU debates

pump jack oil diesel
Environment & Energy

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

08/03/2022
Making peace with nature
Environment & Energy

SDGs will address ‘three planetary crises’ harming life on Earth

15/05/2021
Iceland ICE water sea ocean sunset
Environment & Energy

Climate Change: Τhe arrival of the Arctic tern bird may delay

14/05/2021
pollution-industry smoke CO2 carbon
Environment & Energy

Low methane greenhouse emissions to achieve global climate goals

13/05/2021
Hintersee Lake of Ramsau
Environment & Energy

Zero pollution action plan for European air, water and soil

13/05/2021
safety net plastic pollution
Environment & Energy

Europol records 1.600 offences against marine pollution

12/05/2021

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SOTEU 2022 - State of the Union speech

Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU

14/09/2022
Volunteers preparing food for Ukrainian refugees arriving at Berlin Central Station

EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine

08/03/2022
pump jack oil diesel

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

08/03/2022
Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission

EU sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine

26/02/2022
Finnish PM Sanna Marin

Finland: NATO membership ‘will change’ after Russian invasion

24/02/2022
NATO - EU joint Press Conference

EU responds to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with massive sanctions

24/02/2022
  • Social Media Facebook twitter

    DeleteFacebook? What is the best Facebook european alternative?

    268 shares
    Share 107 Tweet 67
  • Travelling in Europe with COVID19 country colour travel code zones

    238 shares
    Share 95 Tweet 60
  • Why don’t Mediterranean boat migrants take the plane? Why don’t refugees fly?

    222 shares
    Share 89 Tweet 56
  • EU nasty and vindictive? Nigel Farage criticizes EU vaccines strategy

    202 shares
    Share 81 Tweet 51
  • Burkini Debate: To Ban or Not to Ban the Burkini, Burka and Niqab in EUROPE?

    193 shares
    Share 77 Tweet 48

Join eudebates newsletter!

Enter your email to receive our newsletter.

Don't worry, we don't spam
eudebates_logo

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU
  • EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine
  • REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel
  • EU sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine
  • Finland: NATO membership ‘will change’ after Russian invasion

Newsletter

Join eudebates newsletter!

Enter your email to receive our newsletter.

Don't worry, we don't spam
SOTEU 2022 - State of the Union speech

Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU

14/09/2022
Volunteers preparing food for Ukrainian refugees arriving at Berlin Central Station

EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine

08/03/2022
pump jack oil diesel

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

08/03/2022
  • Home
  • EU Policies
  • Special Debates
  • Events
  • Vote & Polls
  • Video

© 2022 eudebates - EU debates, dialogue, communication for a better Europe - Privacy Policy.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • EU Policies
  • World
  • Special Debates
  • Events
  • Vote & Polls

© 2022 eudebates - EU debates, dialogue, communication for a better Europe - Privacy Policy.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.