A Scientific Call for COP30 – Science Academies United for Climate Action (2025)

Rainforests cover over 18 million km² of land worldwide, mainly in Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. As intact ecosystems, they store enormous amounts of the greenhouse gas CO₂, provide a habitat for numerous plants and animals, and are also the basis of life for millions of people. Under the leadership of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (Academia Brasileira de Ciências), more than 30 science academies, including numerous national academies, published recommendations for action that underscore the importance of tropical forests. The academies advocate for the protection of rainforests and emphasise that international cooperation in research, data collection and monitoring, as well as in the training of young scientists, can contribute to this goal. Cooperation with the private sector, for example in sustainable tourism or sustainable land use, can also protect rainforests in the long term. As an approach to financing climate and biodiversity protection fairly, they also propose including ecosystem services in the calculations.