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SDG 15.2 was supposed to have been achieved by 2020 – the early date reflecting its urgency and importance. But deforestation is far from being halted. According to recently published data from Global Forest Watch, the tropics alone lost 11.1 million hectares of tree cover in 2021. This is bad news. Many SDGs are interlinked with forests (SDG 15.2) or are dependent on the success of halting deforestation. Forests are also critical to human health and food security, both high priority topics at the top of policy agendas. Recent WWF research shows that forests contribute to good health and well-being (SDG 3), including non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and mental health conditions. Reducing deforestation and habitat destruction would also reduce the risk of infectious diseases and future pandemics. If we want to be successful in halting deforestation and conversion, we need to tackle its biggest driver: agriculture. Agricultural expansion drives almost 90% of deforestation globally. Turning the tide on unsustainable agriculture and removing deforestation and conversion from commodity supply chains is therefore vital. This side event will focus on the role and contributions of the public and the private sectors in building a sustainable, deforestation- and conversion-free economy. The event will build on the momentum from the UNFCCC COP 26 in Glasgow where the public and private sector - including from finance and trade - collectively committed to halting deforestation. Participants will explore the role of these key sectors as critical supply chain actors and the contribution of demand- and supply side regulation towards a deforestation-free transition of trade and finance flows. We will make the case that removing deforestation from commodity supply chains is possible by capitalizing on existing guidance and guidelines developed. The following speakers have been invited: • Dr. Florika-Fink-Hooijer, Director General, EU Commission • Mariana Escobar Uribe, Advisor to the Financial Superintendent of Colombia and Head of the Sustainable Finance Hub , in charge of Green Finance and Climate Risk strategy • Wei Peng, Global Head of Sustainability - Grains & Oilseeds, Louis Dreyfus • Aline Aguiar, CSR Team Leader, Rabobank Brazil • Cris Close, Global Practice Leader, Market Practice, WWF International • Andrea Meza Murillo, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCCD (requested for moderation) |
