«Given the magnitude
of these debts, commitments to reduce emissions and
biodiversity loss are unlikely to be realized
without specific actions that directly address this damaging environmental legacy.»
A fifth
of global human - caused carbon emissions today are absorbed by terrestrial ecosystems; this important carbon sink operates largely
without human intervention, but could be increased through a concerted effort to reduce forest
loss and to restore damaged ecosystems, which also co-benefits the conservation
of biodiversity.