05 Nov 2007 - Warsaw,
Poland – With the world's forests facing
ever increasing threats from climate change
and pressing demands such as bio-fuels,
WWF is calling on Europe, as a major wood
importer and consumer, to take more responsibility
in tackling deforestation, especially in
the tropics.
Europe must also develop comprehensive
strategies for European forests, the global
conservation organization says.
WWF is asking European forest ministers
attending the 5th Ministerial Conference
on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE)
to make global deforestation a priority
issue for action.
Global deforestation is currently at 13
million hectares a year, or 36 football
fields a minute, and is the third biggest
source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible
for nearly 20% of these global warming gases.
“European countries are challenged twofold,”
said Gerald Steindlegger, WWF's Global Forest
Programme Manager. “They have to develop
strategies that balance the most efficient
use of European forests while maintaining
critical socio-environmental and biodiversity
values, and they must tackle climate change
impacts. They also have to act to stop global
deforestation.”
Although forests in Europe are growing,
they face serious threats from climate change.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change, climate change impacts,
such as more frequent outbreaks of diseases
and pests, can seriously degrade these forests.
Reducing deforestation and forest degradation
can go a long way towards mitigating climate
change, according to WWF.
European governments must realize that
the danger of climate change can only be
faced through a combination of ambitious
measures and policies on a global scale,
WWF says. These measures include significant
improvements in energy efficiency, reduced
energy consumption, and a drastic reduction
of fossil fuel use through substitution
by low-carbon fuels and renewable energies.
WWF believes that governments should also
realize that the uncontrolled production
and trade of bio-energy can lead to further
deforestation and degradation of forests
worldwide, including Europe. They have to
ensure that the production and imports of
bio-energy are based on the principles and
criteria of sustainable forest management
and on other existing tools ensuring environmental
and social responsibility, such as the Roundtable
on Sustainable Palm Oil's principles and
criteria for sustainable palm oil production.
“We are inviting European countries to
be our partners in stopping deforestation,”
added Steindlegger. “If deforestation continues,
the world and Europe will fail to tackle
the planet's number one threat – global
warming.”
European countries should also step up
efforts in combating illegal logging and
trade, and adopting a mandatory certification
scheme for all bio-energy produced or consumed
within the EU. In principle, WWF does not
oppose the increased use of wood in Europe.
However, the MCPFE has so far failed to
develop a comprehensive approach that balances
the most efficient use of European forests
for various traditional and emerging industries
and the maintenance of environmental and
social services.
“Making sure that European forests are
diverse ecosystems is not a selfish interest
of the environmentalists,” said Steindlegger.
“In fact, there is growing scientific evidence
that diverse European forests will be more
resilient to climate change. As a result,
they will ensure future wood supplies and
livelihoods.”
End Notes:
1. WWF is one of two NGOs invited to address
the MCPFE, which is attended by ministers
from 46 European countries, the European
Union and several international organizations.
WWF has an observer status and has been
involved in the MCPFE process since its
beginning in 11000. WWF formulated amendments
(changes) and additional action points to
make the resolutions and declarations, to
be adopted at the Warsaw conference, meaningful
documents for the protection and sustainable
use of forests in Europe and worldwide.
2. WWF has an eight-point action plan to
stop global deforestation and invites European
forest ministers at the Warsaw conference
to adopt this action plan. The eight points
are:
(i) Developing cross-sectoral national
action plans. Acknowledge that forest policy,
particularly sustainable forest management,
alone cannot tackle deforestation. Raise
awareness within individual European governments
and start dialogues in order to develop
cross-sectoral national action plans addressing
ways to contribute to the global deforestation
reduction objective as agreed at the sixth
session of the United Nations Forest Forum
in 2006.
(ii) Inclusion of reduced emissions from
deforestation and degradation (REDD) in
the post-2012 successor agreement to the
Kyoto protocol. Indicate and provide support
for recognizing REDD in a way that is transparent,
credible, scientifically-sound and appropriately
compensated within a post-2012 climate treaty.
Engage in international political and financial
climate-oriented fora to promote inclusion
of REDD as a recognized, credible and compensated
form of emissions reductions. This includes
tracking remote sensing capabilities, monitoring
and measurement mechanisms, environmental
and social safeguards and carbon accounting.
(iii) Emissions reduction. Promote and ensure
that all other national policies within
Europe contribute to an overall domestic
emission reduction of total greenhouse gas
emissions by individual countries by at
least 30% by 2020, based on 11000 emission
levels.
(iv) Developing and implementing responsible
purchasing and consumption policies for
wood and paper products, bio-energy, and
food.
(v) Defining responsible lending policies
for key industry sectors and support financial
institutions to implement responsible lending
policies.
(vi) Supporting and developing international
funding programmes for sustainable financing
of Protected Areas as committed within the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)'s
Programme of Work on Protected Areas.
(vii) Promote credible certification schemes
for wood and paper products, bio-energy,
and other agricultural commodities such
as palm-oil and soy.
(viii) Combating illegal logging and related
trade. Support European legislation to stop
trade of illegal timber products on the
European markets as a mechanism to complement
and underpin Voluntary Partnership Agreements
and Voluntary Private Sector Schemes. Support
actions under the FLEGT Action Plan and
other initiatives including overseas development
aid to producer countries to improve law
enforcement and regulatory capacity, develop
legal verification systems, reform unworkable
laws and improve forest management practices.
Gerald Steindlegger
WWF Global Forests Programme
