The second week of the COP27 climate conference has kicked off with 35,000 representatives from 200 countries meeting in Egypt.
There was a huge commitment from Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to reduce deforestation. This is a major shift especially for Brazil, whose government has destroyed a record 9,500 square kilometers of the Amazon just this year.
It’s estimated that nearly 20% of the Amazon has been cleared over the past 50 years, reaching near the tipping point of severe, irreversible consequences for the planet. That’s because rainforests like the Amazon produce 6% to 9% of the earth’s oxygen.
But Brazil has just elected a new president, who’s made promises of now protecting the Amazon and the indigenous lands. The new administration says it will fight for zero deforestation, and it made that pledge on the world stage at COP27.
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