UK to Crack Down on Global Timber Theft with New Coalition

The United Kingdom is planning to lead a coalition to crack down on illegal logging and deforestation around the world, the Guardian reports.

The coalition will be formed with developing countries, which often lack the resources to fight illegal logging. The UK’s Department for International Development is planning to unveil plans to help the countries “strengthen the rule of law, support the trade in responsible forestry and provide on-the-ground assistance to stamp out illegal logging,” according to the Guardian.

The initiative comes as the UK prepares to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

“The illegal timber trade robs the earth of trees, which not only help stop climate change, they also play a critically important role in maintaining the world’s threatened biodiversity,” Zac Goldsmith, a minister for international development, told the Guardian. “This is a huge success story for the UK and for the world, and sets the scene for what we hope will be a successful year of international cooperation in the run-up to COP 26.”