The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, has called on world leaders to increase financing for forest action to tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Speaking at the Nineteenth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Minister said the capacity of forests to combat the triplet planetary crises calls for an urgent need to re-examine forest financing options to stimulate investment efforts towards achieving the globally agreed goals on forests, climate change, and biodiversity.

The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), established in 2000 to promote the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment to this goal.

Comprising all UN Member States, the Forum meets annually to assess the progress of work, adopt decisions, and make commitments towards achieving the Forum's goal.

The nineteenth session of the Forum, which began on 6th May 2024, is also undertaking a mid-term review of the implementation of the International Arrangements on Forests. On Thursday, 9th May, the Forum held its High-Level Ministerial Segment and forest partnership dialogue on the theme, "Forest-based solutions to the triple planetary crises: A focus on people, science, and technology."

Addressing the Forum, Mr. Jinapor decried the continuous destruction of global forests, despite the increasing global knowledge and understanding of environmental challenges and the potential of forests to contribute to tackling these challenges.

According to the World Resources Institute, tropical primary forest loss in 2023 alone totaled 3.7 million hectares (3.7 million ha) and accounted for 2.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (2.4 GtCO2e). It is estimated that approximately $393 billion (US$393 billion) is required annually to save the world's forests.

Referring to these statistics, Mr. Jinapor said global leaders need to take urgent, concerted, and collaborative action to save the world's forests, the planet, and the lives and livelihoods of the 1.6 billion people who depend on forest resources for survival.

He said Ghana, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, has taken several initiatives aimed at forest protection and conservation, including the Ghana Forest Plantation Strategy, the Green Ghana Project, and the Ghana REDD+ Strategy.

Mr. Jinapor noted that developing countries, which host approximately 45% of global forests, face enormous challenges in protection and conservation, particularly financial challenges. He said Ghana has had to expend her limited resources on sustainable forest management due to the importance the government attaches to forests.

The Minister bemoaned the continuous default by developed countries to honor their pledges to support developing countries in sustainable forest management. This lack of commitment, he noted, is also manifested in the inconsistency in carbon pricing. "Why should the price of carbon in Europe, for example, be different from Africa, or in the Americas be different from Asia?" the Minister queried.

He also called for a comprehensive program to incentivize local communities that depend on forests to preserve these resources, noting that the world benefits more from forest conservation than the gains to these communities.

The Forum, which ends on Saturday, May May 2024, will adopt a declaration and a number of resolutions aimed at promoting sustainable forest management.