By Christian Benard

To accelerate actions towards goals of the Paris Agreement and United Nations framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), world leaders stressed the need to preserve the environment calling on nations to value the services that clean forests can provide.

“We have to stop the devastating loss of our forests. If we want to keep the Paris Agreement of 1.5°C in sight and support the trinities of climate change, we must protect the world’s forests,” said Borris Johnson, Prime minister to the United Kingdom, who also doubles up as the host of the COP26.

As the call to have forests all over the world being protected from human and natural disasters intensifies, further anti-deforestation campaign played vital in the conference with Prime Minister Johnson cautioning against the reckless cutting down of trees without replacing them.

“Let’s work together not just to protect the forests but also to ensure the forests return,” he said.

The impacts of biodiversity remains crucial in the quest to realize the world’s target of below 1.5°C warming. Columbia in its entirety made fresh commitments in the 2030 vision of having countries declare 30% of their land as protected area.

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque said that connecting financing with conservation of ecosystem is an integral part in pushing this agenda owing to the fact that failure to honor the pledges committed by various parties that make up COP26, is one of the reasons that has derailed the attainment of the Paris Agreement.

“So my invitation to all of you is that in order to protect the tropical forests and the forests around the world, we must begin paying for environmental services,” added Duque.

President Ali Bongo of Gabon emphasized the fact that Congo basin plays a very supportive role in biodiversity, fostering the evolution of a huge number of highly specialized species.

“We cannot win the fight against climate change unless we keep the Congo basin standing,” Bongo .

United States of America (USA) President Joe Biden said that through concrete reaffirmations such as funding is when forests can be pro-environment and pro-centred.

He noted that the world has come together to protect the forests of Central Africa through at least USD 1.5billion over the next five years, saying, “this is part of a new finance pledge of over USD 12 billion amounting to the biggest collective commitment of public funds for forests and climate actions in history.”

In addition to the call-to-action message by governments, the corporate sector, sustainability experts to secure forestry and proper usage of lands, philanthropic organizations were not left behind.

The executive chair of the Amazon board Jeffrey Bezos submitted their unwavering support to the goal of thirty by thirty; that is, countries having 30% of their lands being declared as protected areas by the year 2030.

“Today I’m pleased to announce a 2 billion pledge allocated directly to restoring nature and transforming food systems,” said Bezos.

As a result, the Glasgow convention saw the parties craft new strategies to conserve forestry and land use together with fresh re-commitments in terms of the pledges that will support the below 1.5°C warming target.