UK to call for end to global deforestation at COP 26: Reports

UK will urge world leaders at the upcoming 26th session of COP 26 to pledge their commitment to stopping and reversing deforestation, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions

The UK will urge world leaders at the upcoming 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to pledge their commitment to stopping and reversing deforestation, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, sources told the Guardian newspaper.

"Cop 26 puts a heavy emphasis on trees -- it's there as an equal part of 'coal, cars, cash and trees' because the prime minister personally believes protecting nature and biodiversity has to be a major part of how we tackle climate change," the daily quoted a government source as saying.

The leaders are expected to announce their support for the initiative on the second day of the climate change summit, hosted by Glasgow from October 31 to November 12.

Land clearance has accelerated in recent years as soy, cocoa and palm oil producers expand export markets. Industrial development is largely suspected to be behind wildfires that destroyed swathes of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil between 2019 and August of this year.