Summary
The expansion of commodity production continues to be a leading driver of deforestation across the world, causing a loss of valuable carbon sinks and other services important to society and economies, such as clean air and water, and livelihoods for forest dependent peoples. Many commitments have been made – both by governments and companies – to reduce deforestation resulting from the production of commodities, and although there has been notable progress in achieving some of the goals set out in these commitments, it has also been slow and uneven. Neither governments nor private sector are on track to meet ambitious 2020 commitments on reducing deforestation caused by commodity production.
“From Commitment to Action” (FC2A) is a global flagship UNDP initiative that was implemented during 2019 in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It aimed to refocus efforts to accelerate a reduction in deforestation of the Amazon caused by production of agricultural commodities, with the broader context of inclusive green economy transitions and efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement. The results summarised in this report highlight the need to better understand the system that needs to be changed, and the often overlooked interlinkages between seemingly diverse actors in that system.
UNDP’s FC2A initiative provides a overview of the landscape of deforestation commitments and their implementation, identifying in country roadmaps where there are still systemic barriers to be addressed in order to create the enabling environment needed to ensure these commitments are met, and support the move “From Commitment to Action”.