Developing Nations Take Lead in Cutting Forestry and Agricultural Emissions

Countries with the most potential to slash emissions from agriculture and forestry are skimping on climate commitments, while some developing countries are making the boldest and most detailed pledges for cutting land-use-related emissions.  That is the conclusion of a new analysis of climate pledges from China, Canada, Ethiopia, and Morocco by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

Major opportunities to cut forestry and farming emissions exist for Canada and, especially, China, the report says.  For example, UCS recently found that China could cut CO2 emissions by 1.2 gigatons per year by 2020, but its climate pledge fails to indicate how the country would do that.  Canada’s climate pledge is also vague and unambitious, the report says.  In contrast, Ethiopia and Morocco have released detailed and ambitious pledges, especially regarding agricultural emissions.  An earlier UCS analysis also found that Mexico’s land-use-related climate pledges exceed those from the European Union and the United States.  The land use sector includes farming and forestry and is responsible for one-fourth of all greenhouse gas emissions.

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