It is a very dangerous and short-sighted interpretation to apply or generalise the Declaration when talking about North-Eastern Europe. Who will explain, and how, what will replace the growing demand for wood products? What will be the consequences of the COP26 Declaration for Europe and Latvia? Reducing timber harvesting capacity, despite the constant increase in forest area? And the requirements of the Green Deal regarding CO2 sequestration, for instance in construction? Imports from Russia, which is very satisfied with this situation and has turned a 'green Europe' into a pathetic supplicant for a non-renewable resource—natural gas?!

In many parts of the world, there are commitments to preserve forests over the coming decade. Will this be possible?

Since the last Ice Age, the world has lost about 1/3 of its forests, and it is estimated that approximately 15% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation and forest degradation. At the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, we heard promises (even oaths) to change this unappealing situation. The Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use envisages ending deforestation as a process entirely by 2030. Such a promise inspires hope, but... there are a number of already visible stumbling blocks to fulfilling it, including the fact that similar promises have been made before. There have been no tangible, visible results.

What is the new commitment about?

At the COP26 summit in early November, 141 countries, including Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed the aforementioned Declaration. The countries commit to work collectively to halt forest loss and land degradation by 2030, ensuring sustainable development and inclusive land transformation. It is important to note that the commitment does not apply only to illegal logging, but to any form of deforestation.