Suriname vows to protect 90% of its forests

The small Amazonian nation of Suriname has pledged to protect 90 percent of its tropical forests, AP news reports.

The pledge comes just weeks ahead of the COP30 UN climate summit in Brazil, and experts say it’s one of the most ambitious commitments to climate and biodiversity ever — and it far surpasses the 30×30 global UN-backed target for countries to protect 30 percent of land and oceans by 2030.

About 93 percent of Suriname’s land is currently covered by tropical rainforest, with most of that being so-called “primary forest” that has been untouched by logging, agriculture, and mining. Thanks to this immense forest cover, Suriname is an important “carbon sink” and one of only three nations in the world that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits — with the other two countries being Bhutan and Panama.

“We understand and accept the immense responsibility of stewarding over 15 million hectares of tropical rainforest in a world that is seeing her forests fall day in and day out,” said President Geerlings-Simons. “And it is because of this responsibility that we are envisioning an economy that is powered by our rich forests and biodiversity while providing decent jobs and incomes for all our citizens.”

The government of Suriname expects that this pledge will result in more funds from the global carbon credit market and help expand its countries’ ecotourism sector. And a coalition of environmental donors has committed $20 USD million to help finance the effort and support local jobs tied to forest protection.