2020 G20 Interfaith Forum

May 27, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis highlights the urgent need for G20 leaders to support and protect tropical rainforests. Destruction of these forests poses an existential threat to the future global climate: deforestation results in emission of billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year, exacerbates the effects of global climate change, threatens the livelihoods of indigenous communities, and contributes to the spread of animal-borne infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

G20 members and religious authorities have the potential to enhance awareness and spur action on tropical rainforests. Faith-linked initiatives such as the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI) play pivotal roles in directing global attention to the challenges facing the world’s rainforests and in empowering local communities to pursue sustainable solutions. The key recommendations of the 2020 G20 Interfaith Forum Policy Brief on Rainforests are summarized in the resource.

Click here for the G20 Interfaith Forum supporting documents