Photo by gryffyn m 

From 31 October to 12 November, world leaders and their delegations, among other key stakeholders, are gathering in Glasgow, Scotland, for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (more commonly known as COP26). One of the first achievements of the Conference is a commitment, announced on 2 November, “to work collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation.” At the time of writing, 131 countries, which cover 90% of the world’s forests, have signed on to the pledge, including Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Costa Rica—which, as reported in our previous issue, was recently awarded the Earthshot Prize by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for its successful national system to reverse deforestation. On the same day, 103 countries joined the Global Methane Pledge, an initiative launched by the US and EU in September, to “reduce global methane emissions” by at least 30% by 2030 “to keep the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.” Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama were among the over 100 countries to sign the pledge, which collectively “represent 70% of the global economy and nearly half of anthropogenic methane emissions.”

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