SPAIN -At the Climate Summit COP25 in Madrid a joint Declaration of Intent  was signed between Colombia, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom and  extends cooperation between these four countries to reduce deforestation until 2025.

The alliance officially started at Climate Summit COP21 in Paris in 2015. To support Colombia in meeting its targets for reducing deforestation, Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom confirmed their contribution of up to USD 366 million.

“Through this alliance, Colombia is winning the battle against deforestation and, precisely, with this objective the National Council for Combating Deforestation and Other Associated Environmental Crimes (CONALDEF) was established. Now with this new phase of cooperation between Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom, we will continue to strengthen our capacity to reduce deforestation trends at the local level, fostering social and economic benefits,” said Ricardo Lozano Picón, Colombia’s Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development.

The renewal of this Declaration drives and reflects Colombia’s plans to address the substantial increase in deforestation that has occurred since 2016, as a result of recent challenges in some regions, mainly in the Amazon. In addition, it is a recognition of the country’s ability to reverse this trend which in 2018 was reduced by 10% compared to 2017.

Colombia reports that the positive trend continues in 2019. Deforestation alerts in the Amazon have been reduced by 12% in the third quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year.

“Colombia’s ambition and commitment to reducing deforestation is of global importance,” says Ola Elvestuen, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment, adding “we cannot curb climate change without stopping deforestation. The international community should come to mobilize millions of dollars a year to support forested countries in reducing their emissions.”

Colombia will implement a series of actions in the areas most affected by deforestation. The natural forests cover almost 60 million hectares of the Colombian territory making it one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, home to numerous species of fauna and flora and of local communities and ancestral peoples with a great cultural heritage.

By 2022, Colombia will have carried out the restoration of 200,000 hectares and expanded areas with sustainable management and strengthen smallholder farmers to produce sustainably. In the zones of the Amazon, Colombia will extend forest conservation and accelerate restoration.

To support Colombia’s efforts to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable development, European countries will contribute USD 366 million through 2025. Of this figure, USD 260 million will correspond to successful emission reduction payments and USD 106 million to be for contributions for the implementation of objectives and policies.