اردو
  • Norway becomes world’s first country to ban deforestation

    The word is out against deforestation, but the Norwegian government has become the very first to take things to the very next level by placing a total ban on the menace. The government stated that the country will not permit the use of any product that can contribute in any way to deforestation.

    This is part of the Action Plan on Nature Diversity championed by the Norwegian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Energy and Environment and it was lobbied mainly by the Rainforest Foundation Norway. This organization had persisted over the years to ensure that the pledge see the light of day.

    The earlier mentioned Action Plan also mandates the government to protect biodiversity in the rainforest via the Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global. Norway is not alone in this pledge; the United Kingdom and Germany were equally part of the pledge, which was first made in 2014 at that year’s UN Climate Summit. Purpose of the pledge was to further the idea of deforestation-free supply chains.

    Agriculture has been described as one of the main factors that lead to deforestation. Deforestation however increases the risk of carbon emission, as reported by Climate Action. This step taken by the Norwegian government is undoubtedly one of the boldest towards curtailing the scourge of deforestation.

    The anti-deforestation move by the government is however not limited to Norway; it has been taken beyond the borders and across the sea to other countries, like the South American country of Guyana.

    This move by the Norwegian Government is in support of the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation initiative. Brazil too had enjoyed the anti-deforestation largesse doled out by the Norwegian government; the Brazilian government received $1 Billion in 2008 to prevent deforestation, especially in the Amazon Forest, which had reduced by more than 75% in size due to deforestation. The Brazilian National Geographical agency reported that up to 33,000 sq. miles of forest was saved as a result.