World leaders setting out major deforestation and methane pledges with 2030 target dates

World leaders are setting out commitments to curb deforestation and cut methane emissions at COP26.

On the second day of the climate change summit in Glasgow, Prime Minister Boris Johnson detailed a pledge to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030.

More than 100 countries representing 85% of the world’s forests have signed up, including Brazil, Russia, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It is backed by £14bn ($19.2bn) in public and private funding.

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Speaking at an event on forests and land use, Mr Johnson said: “Climate change and biodiversity are two sides of the same coin.

“We can’t deal with the devastating loss of habitats and species without tackling climate change, and we can’t deal with climate change without protecting our natural environment and respecting the rights of indigenous people who are its stewards.”

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US President Joe Biden said forests had the potential to reduce carbon globally by more than a third.

“We need to approach this issue with the same seriousness of process as decarbonising our economy,” he said, pointing to work in the US, where he had set the goal to conserve at least 30% of all US land and waters by 2030.

The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use is the first major deal to be announced at the summit, and another is expected later on methane.

Highlights so far from the summit include:

• India’s prime minister pledged to hit net-zero by 2070 – 20 years after the key 2050 date

• Failure at COP would be a “death sentence”, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned

• Joe Biden told delegates “this is the decade that will determine the answer” on climate change

• Greta Thunberg joined activists near the venue and dismissed leaders’ words as “blah, blah, blah”

• The Queen issued a rallying cry to world leaders, urging them to work together in “common cause”

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Later, the US and EU are launching an initiative to cut methane, a powerful but relatively short-lived greenhouse gas which comes from sources including fossil fuel extraction and livestock farming.

Methane packs a strong short-term punch, so cutting it is a way to curb warming in the near term.

Dozens of heads of state will take part in the launch of the pledge, which commits countries to cut their emissions of the gas by 30% by 2030.

Meanwhile, world leaders will continue to on their own plans to meet the Paris Agreement, with further speeches expected on Tuesday from the leaders of Pakistan, Argentina, Colombia, and Japan.

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