November 8, 2022 

Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt – World leaders were invited to come together to protect, conserve and restore the world’s forests, building on the Glasgow talks to establish Forests & Climate Leaders’ Partnership. The new Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership  is supposed to accelerate implementation of the commitment made at COP26 by over 140 countries to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation. The event was mainly a progress review from 2021 in support of carbon markets as a mechanism for funding investment in protecting existing carbon sinks. It further advocates for tree planting as an approach to forest protection.

Responding from Sharm El Sheikh to the announcement, Victorine Che Thōner, Senior Strategic Advisor, Greenpeace International said:
“A robust partnership could go a long way to provide the necessary resources to protect, conserve and restore the world’s forests, but this partnership is nothing but a green light for eight more years of forest destruction, with little respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. It also gives polluters a licence to do more business as usual through carbon trickery instead of advancing  true climate action. At COP27, we must look beyond the needs of greedy businesses to effectively deliver on non-market approaches for nature protection as outlined in article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement”

“Across the world, measures to protect and restore natural ecosystems and to sustainably manage cultivated land are crucial to fight global heating and prevent species loss. Real commitments are needed now to protect and restore nature along withthe rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities”.