A staggering 15% of global carbon emissions results from the loss of tropical forests. That’s why it’s such good news to hear that more than a dozen African governments pledged at the United Nations climate talks to restore the continent’s natural forests, up to 100 million hectares of forest—386,000 square miles—by 2030. “African countries, which bear the least historic responsibility for climate change, are showing leadership with ambitious pledges to restore land,” says Andrew Steer of the World Resources Institute.
