Why Net Zero Needs Zero Deforestation Now
By Ayla Kanber, Earth Forward Group
A new report, “Why Net Zero Needs Zero Deforestation Now”, has been released by the United Nations-backed Race to Zero. According to the report, there is an urgent demand for corporate action to address deforestation in order to mitigate global warming and achieve climate goals.
Race To Zero is a global campaign that rallies leadership and support from businesses, cities, regions, and investors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery that prevents future threats, creates decent jobs, and unlocks inclusive, sustainable growth. The campaign mobilizes a coalition of leading net zero initiatives, representing 1,049 cities, 67 regions, 5,235 businesses, 441 of the biggest investors, and 1,039 Higher Education Institutions.
Led by the High-Level Climate Champions for Climate Action — Mahmoud Mohieldin and Nigel Topping — Race To Zero mobilizes organizations outside of governments to join the Climate Ambition Alliance. The objective of this alliance is to strengthen contributions to the Paris Agreement before COP26, where governments must strengthen their contributions to the Paris Agreement. The Climate Ambition Alliance is the largest association committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with organizations from 120 countries.
According to the report “Why Net Zero Needs Zero Deforestation Now”, the forest, land and agriculture contribute to 22% of global emissions — of which half are driven by deforestation. In the past 2 years, ‘net zero by 2050’ pledges have increased five-fold by forest, land and agriculture sector companies. Despite public pressure to become more environmentally responsible, 58% of the companies deemed critical to tackling deforestation have still not set a net zero target.
Other report highlights include:
- Despite recent efforts, deforestation increased by 12% between 2019 and 2021.
- By protecting and restoring forests around the world, we can achieve 18% of the emissions cuts needed by 2030 to prevent catastrophic climate change.
- New analysis shows over 90% of major forest, land and agriculture companies that have committed to net-zero could be at risk of missing their climate commitments due to a lack of action on deforestation.
- The world cannot reach net-zero by 2050 without ending deforestation this decade: Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use contributes 22% to global emissions and half of that (11%) is from deforestation and land conversion (AR6 IPCC Working Group 3). And as forests are destroyed, we remove one of the world’s biggest carbon sinks, too. Every year, around one-third of all the CO2 released is absorbed by forests. (Goldstein et al., and IUCN). To keep the chance of 1.5°C alive, all deforestation must end urgently with the majority of commodity-driven land clearance halted by 2025 (AFI), and all land use change eliminated by 2030 (IPCC).
In a statement accompanying the report, the Race To Zero campaign recognized that certain companies are making excellent progress in their efforts to address deforestation, including Nestlé, PepsiCo Inc., Unilever, Mars, Colgate-Palmolive, and paper and pulp producer Suzano. If other large companies also begin making significant progress on their net zero pledges, global climate change goals may be realized.
