Climate Talk

Amazon deforestation at a record low: real progress, but fragile

The numbers in the Amazon post are genuinely good: 3,335 sq km cleared in a year, down 41.8%, the lowest since records began in 1988, and down 71.2% since 2022. The Cerrado also at its lowest since 2001.

But I think the Guardian's framing is fair too. The decline is linked to enforcement and investment in agencies, which depend on political choices, and the data came nine days before the October 25 run-off. Progress that depends on policy can also reverse with policy. Both things are true.