The Brazilian government has pledged to end net deforestation of its rain forests by 2015, BBC online reports Friday.
It is one of the key commitments in a draft climate change plan, which stops short of setting specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The plan – setting out how Brazil will help prevent climate change, and how it will adapt to it – was promised nearly a year ago by President Lula.
But the environmental group Greenpeace criticised it for simply highlighting existing proposals. It said the draft did not explain how they would be brought into action.
With deforestation accounting for 75 per cent of the countrys CO2 emission, the plan sets out a timetable to reduce forest loss to a point where by 2015, more Brazilian trees are being planted than are cut down.
According to the Environment Minister Carlos Minc, this will be possible through an aggressive programme of restoring native forests, as well as further crackdowns on illegal logging.
