“The progress we are making in slowing deforestation stands as a powerful and pragmatic example of what can be done,” Darren Walker writes in an op-ed for CNN Opinions.

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Published in CNN Opinions

We’re at a tipping point over climate

By Darren Walker

Across the globe, political and economic leaders have come under increasing pressure to live up to their words on climate change. And, on the eve of the U.N. Climate Summit taking place in New York, it seems we might even be at a tipping point in the global battle against climate change.

After all, new technology is revealing the impact of our daily consumption on the climate, and influential leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors are finding common ground, coming up with innovative solutions to address the most egregious drivers of climate change. But if the world is truly serious about changing the path we are on, it would do well to recognize an area where dramatic advances are already within reach—on deforestation.

Deforestation is responsible for 15% of global carbon emissions, but if we move quickly, we could start now to slow global warming, quickly and cost effectively, while buying vital time for the other solutions that leaders are seeking.