United Nations works to cut emissions of poorer countries

A new United Nations (UN) programme has been launched with the aim of encouraging poorer nations to reduce their deforestation emissions.

The Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programme plans to get richer countries to fund poorer ones, helping them protect forests and thereby cut carbon emissions.

Almost 20 per cent of greenhouse gases released is due to deforestation in developing countries, the UN claimed.

Executive director of the UN Environment Programme Achim Steiner said: "Forests are worth more alive than dead and their ecosystem services and benefits are worth billions if not trillions of dollars if we only capture these in ergonomic models".

Among the countries to be involved in the project are Bolivia, Indonesia and Zambia.

Today the Global Carbon Project announced that carbon emissions have grown up to four times faster worldwide since the year 2000.