Governments at the UN Climate Change Conferencein Warsaw on Friday agreed on a set of decisions on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and the degradation of forests.

The agreement on the so-called REDD+ initiative is backed by pledges of 280million dollars in financing from the US, Norway and the UK.

"I am proud of this concrete accomplishment. We are all aware of the central role that forests play as carbon sinks, climate stabilizers and biodiversity havens," said President of the conference Marcin Korolec.

He emphasized the destructive impact that forest fires and deforestation have on people and economies. "Through our negotiations, we have made a significant contribution to forest preservation and sustainable use which will benefit the people who live in and around them and humanity and the planet as a whole," he said.

The decisions provide guidance for ensuring environmental integrity and pave the way towards the full implementation of REDD+ activities on the ground. The package also provides a foundation for transparency and integrity of REDD+ action, clarifies ways to finance relevant activities and how to improve coordination of support.

"Governments have shown their firm commitment to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Warsaw. They have delivered a set of decisions that will make a significant impact in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries and catalyze actions in this critical area of addressing climate change," said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC).

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