Environmental Defense Fund applauds the United States and Brazil for signing an agreement to launch a bilateral climate dialogue and to work together to slash global warming pollution and reduce emissions from tropical deforestation.
"This shows the world's major nations are moving forward, and particularly the agreement to cooperate on deforestation is a real breakthrough," said Jennifer Haverkamp, EDF's director for international climate policy negotiations.
"Stopping tropical forest destruction is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to curb carbon pollution."
The United States and Brazil agreed to strengthen climate cooperation and launch the bilateral climate policy dialogue, during Secretary Hillary Clinton's visit to Brasilia.
The deal marks the first time the two nations have formally agreed to work together on policies to reduce emissions from deforestation, known as REDD. It also establishes a forum for ongoing discussions on how to advance international climate talks and the research and development of clean energy technologies, among other issues.
"Cooperation between the U.S. and Brazil has major implications," said Haverkamp. "We can really move the ball forward with bilateral efforts like this."
Tropical deforestation causes nearly a fifth of all global warming pollution, and a large portion of the total comes from Brazil's Amazon Basin.
Brazil has already made huge strides to curb deforestation in recent years. In 2009, deforestation fell to its lowest rate in two decades.
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