1:48 p.m.
Dear IUFRO Working Party on Resource Data in the Tropics:
The announcement below may be of interest.
Regards,
Sheila Ward
Coordinator
IUFRO WP 4.02.01 - Resource data in the tropics
https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-4/40000/40200/40201/
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: IUFRO Headquarters <office(a)iufro.org>
Date: Mon, May 6, 2024 at 7:56 AM
Subject: [IUFRO Div 1] Media Release - Reducing forests to carbon sinks
poses risk, new report cautions policymakers
To: Dear Reader of IUFRO News <div1(a)lists.iufro.org>
<https://www.iufro.org/>
* International Union of Forest Research Organizations *
Media Release - Reducing forests to carbon sinks poses risk, new report
cautions policymakers
[image: Photo showing Border between countries with different forest
governance approaches. © UNEP Disasters & Conflicts]
Border between countries with different forest governance approaches. ©
UNEP Disasters & Conflicts
- Rising sense of crisis over climate change has caused the
'climatization' of forests that diminishes their value as complex
ecosystems and for social welfare.
- There is major untapped potential for policymakers to support
long-term, locally driven alternatives to market-based forest governance.
- To achieve an accurate picture of forest governance progress, equity
and justice must take center stage rather than relying on deforestation
rates alone.
PDF for download: English
<https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/gfep/governance-followup/ifg-followup-press-release-en.pdf>
- Spanish
<https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/gfep/governance-followup/ifg-followup-press-release-esp.pdf>
- German
<https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/gfep/governance-followup/ifg-followup-medieninfo-de.pdf>
*New York, 6 May 2024* – Launched at the 19th Session of the United Nations
Forum on Forests (UNFF19), the first global synthesis report on
international forest governance in 14 years reveals the rising trend of the
'climatization' of forests. This reflects a global shift in political
attention and financial support towards primarily valuing forests for their
capacity as carbon sinks, diminishing their intrinsic role for ecological
and social welfare.
Produced by the Science-Policy Programme (SciPol) of the International
Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the report *International
Forest Governance**: A critical review of trends, drawbacks, and new
approaches**, *synthesises the most pivotal developments in international
forest governance since 2010. The findings provide actionable insights for
land use and climate policymakers to spur the implementation of just and
effective forest policies.
The new study reveals that the success of international forest governance
to slow down deforestation remains limited and hard to measure. Although
there has been some progress in reducing the global rates of tropical
deforestation, there is still a rising sense of crisis over climate change,
biodiversity loss and increasing social and economic inequalities.
*Dr. Nelson Grima, Deputy Coordinator of IUFRO SciPol states: **"The
current 'playing field' for international forest governance is more crowded
and fragmented than ever before, with a plethora of new actors and
instruments. The challenge now is to strengthen and coordinate forest
policy to address power asymmetries between the different actors."*
The increasing urgency of the climate crisis has influenced the
commodification of forests for their carbon sequestration potential. This
has led to the rise of new markets for carbon and biodiversity that often
focus on short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability and
justice. Finance that includes philanthropic and community-led mechanisms
offer a just alternative, but so far, have played a limited role.
*Prof. Constance McDermott,University of Oxford, lead author of the report
states: *
*"Market-based approaches to forest governance such as forest carbon
trading and zero deforestation supply chains are becoming an increasingly
popular pathway for forest governance and finance, but unfortunately, as
the report shows, they risk perpetuating inequalities and producing
perverse effects on sustainable forest management. Non-market-based
mechanisms such as state regulation and community-led initiatives offer
important alternative pathways for just forest governance."Prof. Franklin
Obeng-Odoom,**University of Helsinki, lead author of the report adds:*
*"Regardless of
the finance sources, the underlying common ground must be to pursue social
inclusion, redress social-environmental injustice, protect the land rights
of resource-dependent communities, and support the transition towards a
more just ecological future."*
As pressures mount on governments and corporate actors to demonstrate
urgent action to solve the climate crisis has spurred a "Target Olympics"
of far-reaching targets such as zero deforestation or net biodiversity
gain. Yet, measuring forest governance success using deforestation rates
alone offers a restricted picture, excluding the interconnectedness between
humanity and nature.
*Prof. Daniela Kleinschmit, Freiburg University, main lead author of the
report, states:* *"Ambitious and reductionist pledges must be a thing of
the past. We are too late on in the game to use win-win narratives and not
include the social dependencies and impacts to best understand our forests.
M**easuring governance has mainly been related to the deforestation rate as
the main indicator. However, forests provide many goods and services
essential for people, which is why the effectiveness of international
forest governance should also be measured against these needs."*
In response to the challenges of international forest governance, the
report calls on policymakers to value forests as more than carbon sinks,
prioritise long-term market-based investments and ensure a just and
sustainable future for the communities that depend on them.
*ENDS*
*Notes to Editors:*
The report analysis is specifically since 2010 when the first global
assessment on international forest governance was first published in the
framework of the IUFRO-led Global Forest Expert Panel (GFEP). Taking the
2010 report as a baseline, the new study reviews important trends, analyses
the forest finance landscape, examines criticism, and suggests alternatives.
The report is due to launch at the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum
on Forests (UNFF19) in New York on 10 May 2024 at1:15-2:30 pm EDT (UTC -4),
Conference Room 4.
*Link to the side event webcast: *
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1vh60svu2
*Link to the report and the policy brief: *
IUFRO: International Forest Governance 2024 / Follow-up studies /
Science-Policy Programme
<https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/follow-up-studies/international-forest-governance-2024/>
*Media contact: *Áine Curtin*: *aine(a)browningenvironmental.com +44 7818
808827 <+447818808827>
*About the Science-Policy Programme (SciPol) of IUFRO*
The Science-Policy Programme (SciPol) of IUFRO provides a mechanism for
effectively mobilizing scientific expertise and information to equip
governments and intergovernmental processes with solid knowledge for making
decisions that affect forests, trees, and land use regionally and globally.
'Follow-up studies' are one of the workstreams of the Programme which build
on previously published global assessments and complement them with new
available data and developments. Visit: IUFRO: Science-Policy Programme /
Science in IUFRO <https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/>
*About IUFRO*
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO
<https://www.iufro.org/>) is a non-profit and non-governmental worldwide
network of 15,000 forest scientists across 120 countries, who work together
to enhance the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects
of forests and trees. Founded in 1892 IUFRO is headquartered in Vienna,
Austria. The 26th IUFRO World Congress <https://iufro2024.com/> will take
place in Stockholm, Sweden,
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