Brazil pledged to restore 12 million hectares, or 46,332 square miles, of its forests — about the size of England — by 2030 while it also pursues “policies aimed at eliminating illegal deforestation.”
“This is a big deal,” said senior Obama adviser Brian Deese of the renewables agreement with Brazil on a press call.
Brazil’s forest-restoration target would have the effect of pulling more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by increasing the amount of photosynthesis performed by plants and trees.
During her speech, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff also said, “We want to reach zero deforestation by 2030 in Brazil, zero illegal deforestation by 2030.”
But some environmentalists faulted the commitment on this front, suggesting that Brazil should go far beyond preventing what’s already illegal.