Rainforests: International Cooperation

(asked on 24th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to prioritise taking diplomatic steps with his international counterparts to tackle depletion of rainforests.


Answered by
James Duddridge Portrait
James Duddridge
This question was answered on 6th July 2021

The UK government works through diplomacy, partnerships and programmes to drive international efforts to stop deforestation. Through diplomacy, we work to encourage forest nations to take action to strengthen protections for forests. This is complemented by long-term partnerships and programmes, funded through the UK's International Climate Finance, which provide the technical support and resources required to take action.

For example, a long-standing partnership with the Government of Indonesia has had a significant impact on illegal logging, an important factor in the depletion of rainforests. With UK support, Indonesia has taken action to curb illegal logging. As a result, Indonesian timber exports have gone from a point where an estimated 80% were from illegal sources, to one where all exports are now from audited legal sources.

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