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U.K. Pledges 100 Million Pounds in Aid to Protect Forests
2010-10-27 11:25:36.744 GMT
By Alex Morales
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. today pledged 100 million
pounds ($158 million) in aid to international forestry projects
that help preserve wildlife and plants, the government's
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said.
The funds will come from the 2.9 billion pounds Britain
last week pledged in climate-change assistance through the tax
year ending in April 2015, the department said today in an e-
mailed statement. Aid has been touted by international envoys as
one of the key pillars of a future United Nations climate change
treaty, for which talks resume in November in Cancun, Mexico.
Britain has already promised 300 million pounds in aid
toward Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest
Degradation, or REDD, projects. Today's announcement was made by
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman at a meeting in Nagoya,
Japan, where 193 countries are trying to set targets to preserve
species and habitats.
"Tackling deforestation is critical if we are to be
successful in our goals to protect biodiversity, tackle climate
change and reduce global poverty," Spelman said.
Forests are home to more than half of the world's plants
and animals and support the livelihoods of more than 1 billion
people, while deforestation accounts for almost a fifth of
global greenhouse gas emissions, she said.
For Related News and Information:
Top environment stories: TOP ENV <GO>
Stories about climate change: NI CLIMATE <GO>
Stories about the pulp and paper industries: NI PAP <GO>
--Editor: Todd White, Reed Landberg
To contact the reporter on this story:
Alex Morales in London at +44-20-7330-7718 or
amorales2@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Reed Landberg at +44-20-7330-7862 or landberg@bloomberg.net.
