Brazil's Amazon lost less forest this year than in any year since records began

The chainsaws are quieter. Brazil's space research agency Inpe, which watches the Amazon by satellite, says 3,335 square kilometres (about 1,288 square miles) of rainforest were destroyed in the 12 months through July — the lowest figure since its records began in 1988, and a fall of about 42% from the year before. In the vast Cerrado savanna, losses also fell to 5,517 square kilometres, the lowest since 2001. 'This demonstrates that Brazil plays a leading role in protecting forests,' said Marcio Astrini of the Climate Observatory, calling the figures a historic achievement.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: policy reform