Forests provide jobs, shelter and medicine for over one billion people…and are home to half of the land-based species on Earth. A new UN report shows that stepping up investment in forests could halve deforestation rates and generate around 10 million new jobs.
This increased funding – estimated at 40 billion dollars per year – would also help tackle climate change, with more trees removing more carbon from the atmosphere.
The report looks at “ecosystem services”….things like flood protection, water purification or tourism…that forests provide naturally. The UN says that investing in these services can bring big financial returns…and protect the environment.