Ghana has announced it is close to issuing forest carbon credits under its ambitious J-REDD+ programme, as ministers and senior officials gathered in London with COP30 and COP31 leaders to accelerate action on forests ahead of the 2030 deadline to halt and reverse forest loss.

Ghana’s flagship Jurisdictional Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (J-REDD+) framework transitions traditional REDD+ projects into large-scale national carbon credit programmes.

By focusing on entire ecological zones and linking climate finance directly to sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, it aims to protect forests while directly benefiting rural communities

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana, called for a trusted international framework for jurisdictional forest carbon credits, highlighting the programme's potential to scale investment into high-quality forest and land-use mitigation activities that deliver climate benefits while improving livelihoods.

The event dubbed “From Glasgow to Addis Ababa: FCLP and COP Presidencies Building Momentum on Forests from COP30 to COP31" focused on maintaining forests as a priority through the next phase of international climate cooperation, from COP30 in Brazil through COP31 in Türkiye.

Ministers from Nigeria, Indonesia, and Ghana shared a range of national initiatives and priorities, including recent commitments related to the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment, sustainable bioeconomy initiatives, and high-integrity forest carbon credits.

Nigeria’s Environment Minister, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, highlighted the Nigerian government’s work across a range of forest initiatives, including the Great Green Wall and the implementation of a National Clean Cooking Policy and reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment.

Minister of Forestry of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, underlined the importance of protecting tropical peatlands and mangroves through the establishment of international centres for cooperation.

He noted that mangroves are one of the most effective nature-based solutions available, delivering climate mitigation and sustainable livelihoods. Indonesia is home to 3.4 million hectares of mangroves – roughly 23 per cent of the world’s mangrove ecosystems.

The event also featured new commitments on land tenure rights from Peru and Brazil and a major forest finance pledge from Norway, underscoring growing momentum behind forest protection, sustainable land use and climate action ahead of COP30 in Brazil and COP31 in Türkiye.

The gathering underscored the growing importance of forests across the international climate agenda, bringing together representatives from multiple COP cycles to discuss how political leadership, finance, and implementation can help deliver the goal of halting and reversing forest loss by 2030.

"The ‘From Glasgow to Addis Ababa’ moment is key to sustaining the shift from ambition to implementation on forests. It allows us to advance the Roadmap to Halt and Reverse Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030, keeping political momentum alive and ensuring forests stay at the heart of climate action at the scale and speed required," said COP30 President André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

COP31 President Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of Türkiye, also said, “the COP31 Action Agenda is designed to strengthen partnerships, advance practical solutions, support implementation efforts, and create a lasting legacy.

“To this end, we have identified ten priority themes under the COP31 Action Agenda. These themes were not selected merely as areas of discussion; rather, they reflect the most pressing global challenges, the implementation needs of Parties, and the areas where COP31 can generate tangible and enduring impact."