The evergreen nexus

At the first Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) were created. Thirty-two years on, the interconnectedness of these challenges is clearer than ever, and one element of nature remains central to the suite of potential solutions: trees and forests.

Trees directly mitigate climate change, and help us adapt to its impacts. They are home to vast reserves of global biodiversity, including resources that are critical for rural diets and livelihoods. And, they are one of the most effective nature-based solutions for preventing and reversing desertification.

By harnessing the power of trees, forests, and agroforestry landscapes to address the most pressing global challenges of our time, CIFOR–ICRAF will work to ensure that trees take centre stage in the solutions developed and advanced at each of the 2024 summits. We hope you’ll join us.