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FAO at COP21: supporting the quest for a new global agreement on climate change
"The climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it."
Barack Obama, 2014 Climate Summit, United Nations, New York
Watch the FAO Forestry video produced for the 2015 International Day of Forests, 21 March 2015: Forests Climate Change: sustainably managed forests are the frontline against climate change
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 21st Conference of the Parties
FAO will be present at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, France (30 November–11 December 2015), with a high-level delegation led by the FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva. As a formal Observer to the COP21 negotiations, FAO’s role is to support UNFCCC processes and help FAO member countries engage in them, by providing technical advice in the areas of its mandate.
Read more on how the UN and FAO will be supporting the COP21 negotiations:
The XIV World Forestry Congress and climate change
FAO has made a formal submission to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, summarizing the key climate change-related conclusions and outcomes of the XIV World Forestry Congress, Durban, South Africa, 7–11 September 2015, for the information of participants at COP21. Read more here.
Global Landscape Forum, 5-6 December
FAO Forestry will be supporting information exchange and knowledge sharing at several events. Mark your calendar with the dates; view the current list of events here.
Forestry news
UN Convention to Combat Desertification: optimism on 2030 projection of healthy and productive lands, with multiple global benefits
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification, 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 12) held in Ankara, Turkey, ended with a breakthrough agreement on the amount of healthy and productive land which may stay stable starting in 2030. The parties also agreed on indicators to measure progress and to strengthen measures to make land more resilient to climate change, and to halt biodiversity loss as a result of the destruction of ecosystems.
FAO’s engagement at COP 12 included showcasing its cross-sectoral country support in drylands, desertification and restoration management. Action and progress in these areas would result in significant benefits in climate change mitigation and adaptation and rural development, and is specifically prescribed in Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 15.
Read more here on FAO Forestry's contributions to COP12 on desertification and land restoration in the Mediterranean, how to attract greater investments to restore forests and landscape, and the role of policymakers and key findings of the forthcoming discussion paper to be released at COP21, "Sustainable financing for forest and landscape restoration".
Also visit the FAO websites on Silva Mediterranea and Action against Desertification.
Increasing the ease and efficacy of forest carbon stocks for climate change mitigation assessments
To be effective, climate change mitigation measures need to be based on accurate assessments of forest biomass, carbon stocks and ecosystem services. This is now much easier to achieve, thanks to GlobAllomeTree, the improved online resource that provides transparent access to new data and tools for forest assessment, data which are particularly useful for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories.
Read more about the updated version of GloballomeTree, and visit the GlobAllomeTree website.
Critical success factors for sustainable bioenergy development: a call to COP21
Affordable and clean energy for all lies at the heart of Sustainable Development Goal 7 as well as the forthcoming negotiations at COP21, and was a key consideration of 150 experts at a recent conference in Berlin. Growing energy and development demands, particularly in rural areas, and the need to reduce carbon in the global economy require sustainable investment in renewable energy, which, if critical success factors are taken into account,
Read more about “critical success factors” in The investment case for sustainable production systems, the statement, addressed in particular to COP21, of the Co-Chairs of the Conference on bioenergy and development organized by the World Agroforestry Centre and Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, of which FAO was a strategic partner, 19–20 October 2015, Berlin, Germany. Also read the conference programme and visit the FAO Forestry website on wood energy.
Integrated fire management: a red line for sustainability and climate change
Fire is a recognized land management tool, but the wildfires that have engulfed tens of thousands of hectares of Indonesian forest have led to large-scale loss of forest ecosystems and wildlife and their habitats, while the thick haze has seriously affected the health of local people and those in neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. Although the drier conditions caused by the El Niño phenomenon have aggravated the 2015 wildfires, a recent international conference reiterated the importance of wildfire prevention and mitigation.
Read more in the Pyeongchang Declaration, the outcome document of the 6th International Wildfire Conference, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, from 12–16 October, which concludes with a call to COP 21 to acknowledge the role and endorse the support of integrated fire management as an accountable contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, maintaining or increase terrestrial carbon pools and ensuring ecosystem functioning.
Also watch FAO’s Pieter Van Lierop on Al Jazeera’s Inside Story on the Indonesian wildfires and visit FAO Forestry’s website on fire management.
Amazon countries urge COP21 to recognize unique role of their protected areas
Thirty-three million people, comprising 420 indigenous ethnic groups, are directly dependent on the water and food supplies of the 170 million hectares of the Amazon protected areas. A Redparques statement highlighted in Bogota by Amazon countries urges world leaders at COP21 to recognize the wealth of environmental goods and services the areas confer on local and global communities and in climate change mitigation, and to cooperate in their conservation.
Read more about the Bogota statement and the European Union-financed project “Integration of Amazon Protected Areas”, which FAO is supporting, in the eight countries hosting the Amazon biome. Also read a summary of the 15 October Bogota Colombia, meeting “Perder la Amazonía es perder la lucha frente el cambio climático”.
European Forest Week 2015: what is the value of forests?
Thirty-nine countries meeting in Engleberg, Switzerland, sought to determine what forests and forest ecosystem services are “worth” to communities and the planet. Starting from the premise that sustainable forest management is the key to healthy forests and healthy societies, their final recommendations included that, building on existing indicators, FAO and UNECE should develop forest-related indicators related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Read more in the comprehensive handbook and documents of Silva2015, the joint meeting of the 38th Session of the FAO European Forestry Commission and 73rd Session of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry held from 2–6 November 2015 in Engelberg, Switzerland, including its key messages. Also view the Silva2015 photo gallery and view information on the FRA App competition below. The joint session final report will be uploaded here.
Latin America and Caribbean body outlines regional forestry priorities
At its recent 29th Session, the Latin American and Caribbean Forestry Commission highlighted international governance on forests, and forests’ linkages with sustainable development and food security as regional priorities. The Commission also requested that the 2016 session of the Committee on Forestry address the effects of climate change on forests, particularly as regards forest health, forest fires and disaster prevention.
Read more in the background documents of the 29th Session of the Latin American Forestry Commission held in Lima, Peru, 9–13 November 2015, in English and Spanish. The full report of the 29th Session will be uploaded here.
Good forest management aids food insecurity and poverty reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean
Rural poverty and food insecurity can be reduced through good forest management and policies, and the transfer of successful knowledge and practices, a Latin America and Caribbean regional workshop concluded. To create an effective and sustainable environment requires the right mix of financial, fiscal and legislative interventions, appropriate participation and strong inter-sectoral coordination.
Read more in the final report summary of the FAO-organized regional workshop held in Montevideo, Uruguay, 7–9 October 2014, on exemplary cases of sustainable forest management in Latin America and the Caribbean: strengthening of national policies and programmes (Spanish) as well as more on FAO’s work in the region.
Unleashing the potential of small forest enterprises in Africa
Enabled by the right policy, legal and institutional conditions, appropriate incentives and technical support, sustainable small forest enterprises could be major drivers of local economies in Africa, a scenario that 30 experts meeting in Douala, Cameroon, were keen to help foster. The participants shared valuable knowledge about the constraints in and opportunities for increasing sustainable forest management on the continent, and the consequent potential for significant improvements in food security and poverty levels.
Read more on the FAO-organized expert meeting “Creating an enabling environment for the development of community-based forest enterprises in Africa”, Douala, Cameroon, 17-20 November 2015, and key documents in English and French. The meeting follows a 2014 meeting for Latin American and Caribbean countries. Read more about FAO Forestry's community-based forest enterprise development unit here.
Global news
International Mountain Day 2015: elevating the commercial potential of mountain products and services
This year’s 11 December celebration of International Mountain Day puts high-value mountain products and services in the spotlight, promoting the significant opportunities for sustainable employment and income generation. The Mountain Partnership is supporting this commercial potential, and will mark the day at FAO headquarters with an exhibit “Bolivia. Places of music”, with photographs by the Canadian photographer, Craig Richards.
Read more about International Mountain Day 2015 and its theme of Promoting mountain products for better livelihoods. Also visit the Mountain Partnership website. The Bolivia exhibit will be in the Flag Hall of FAO headquarters in Rome from 8–11 December.
Supporting global collaboration on land and water: the role of forests
A three-day event held at FAO headquarters sought to increase Rome-based agency collaboration on land and water to help achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture worldwide. FAO Forestry contributed to the wealth of information shared at Land and Water Days 2015, with publications and presentations describing the significant role of sustainable watershed management and forests and landscape restoration in attaining these objectives.
Read more about Land and Water Days 2015 co-organized by FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme, held at FAO headquarters from 10–12 December 2015, including the annotated agenda and identified key areas of collaboration. Also read about FAO Forestry’s work on mountain and watershed management and the forest and landscape restoration mechanism and visit the new FAO portal on Ecosystem services and biodiversity.
Communicators pledge support and visibility for regional policies and action on forests
Bolstering forests’ resistance to climate change and a host of natural phenomena is a priority of many Mediterranean and Near East forest sectors, and one that forestry communicators meeting at a workshop in Rabat, Morocco, pledged to support. By improving cooperation and messaging on forestry and advocating for communication to be integral to forest policy and planning, the communicators are helping to strengthen regional capacities in forestry.
Read more about the workshop of the FAO-supported forest communicators’ network in the Mediterranean and Near East region held in Rabat, Morocco, from 9–11 November 2015. Also visit the FAO Forestry Communication Toolkit webpage in English, French and Spanish for information on all regional forestry communicators’ networks and FAO Forestry’s communication resources.
Consultation on draft of forthcoming sourcebook "National socioeconomic surveys in forestry"
Feedback is invited on the draft of the forthcoming sourcebook ‘National socioeconomic surveys in forestry: guidance and survey modules for measuring the multiple roles of forests in household welfare and livelihoods’. The sourcebook offers guidance on implementing forestry survey modules for the collection of data on the socioeconomic contributions of forests to household welfare and livelihoods at aggregate scales. It was developed by five bodies – FAO, CIFOR, IFRI and the World Bank's LSMS and PROFOR – and has been field-tested in three countries.
Download a draft version (not for citation or further dissemination) of the sourcebook and modules here. Comments and feedback for the final publication would be appreciated and considered until 31 December 2015. Please send comments on the current draft to Illias Animon, illias.animon@fao.org or Ewald Rametsteiner ewald.rametsteiner@fao.org.
Meetings and events
Regional Forestry Commission meetings 2015–16
Collaborative Partnership on Forests: view the events calendar here.
International Days 2015
The full list of international days can be viewed here.
5 December: World Soil Day, Soils a solid ground for life. Also read the FAO Forestry key messages on soils
11 December: International Mountain Day, Promoting mountain products for better livelihoods. Also view the new Mountain Partnership publication Promoting mountain products for better livelihoods – Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Competition
Launch of Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 app competition
Silva2015 was also the venue for the launch of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 (FRA 2015) mobile applications competition. The competition encourages entrants to use the FRA 215 dataset to develop mobile applications that can help better manage forest resources and improve understanding of forests worldwide. Submissions will be accepted until 21 January 2016.
Read more about the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 app competition information here.
Publications
Publication
Proceedings of the regional seminar-workshop on harmonizing methods in risk assessment and management of forest invasive alien plant species in Southeast Asia FAO Bangkok
Newsletter
FAO in Zimbabwe newsletter, issue 4, 2nd trimester 2015
Poster
Assessing the vulnerability of Mediterranean forests to climate change by using free tools: the case of pilot sites in North African and Near-East countries
Videos
Alien Invasive Species: Eucalyptus tree threatened – FAO Zimbabwe
Indonesia forest fires – Al Jazeera Inside Story
FAO Forestry partner video
Bioeconomy is the future – European Forest Institute
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