UN: World’s forests facing tough tests

World forests face the dual challenge of climate change and the global economic crisis, a key UN report says.
On the BBC News website, environment reporter Mark Kinver said it suggested that although the economic slowdown might reduce deforestation rates in the short term, it was also likely to lead to other problems.
One concern, would be [...]

Norway to pay Guyana to protect rainforests

Norway will provide financial support for Guyana’s ambitious plan to conserve its rainforests, reports Mongabay.com.
During a meeting in Oslo, Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg signedan agreement to establish a partnership to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).
It is also understood that the leaders will also push for the [...]

REDD debate heats up at UN climate summit

The topic of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degredation (REDD) is shaping up to be one of the most prominent features of this year’s UN climate summit, according to the IUCN.

REDD discussions are not only attracting a lot of attention and interest, they are also progressing rapidly at the UNFCCC’s COP-14, being held in Poznan, [...]

Donors pledge $100m for tropical forest conservation

Donors meeting last week in Washington DC, US, pledged more than $100m (£50m) to the World Bank’s new initiative for conserving tropical forests, reports Mongabay.com.
In addition to the $100m in donations, the World Bank announced that more than 40 developing countries have asked to join the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility – the Bank’s foray into [...]

Forest peoples’ rights key to reducing emissions

Unless based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities, efforts by rich countries to combat climate change by funding reductions in deforestation in developing countries will fail, and could even unleash a devastating wave of forest loss, cultural destruction and civil conflict, publication Science Letter reports.
Leading forestry and development experts gathered [...]

WWF drops opposition to REDD

Global conservation group WWF that it will now support a scheme to compensate tropical nations for reducing carbon dioxide emissions by reducing deforestation and forest degradation, Mongabay.com reports.

The group’s president told a gathering, which included Al Gore and Wangari Ma’athai, that WWF would not oppose efforts to include forests in international climate negotiations.
“The Amazon, if [...]

Researchers question role of REDD

In the latest issue of the BioScience journal, a letter by three US researchers raiseds questions about the effectiveness of the proposed Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).
The global scheme, likely to feature heavily at the forthcoming UN climate summit in Poland, is based on the idea that rich industrialised nations pay nations with [...]

Saving forests is ‘cost-effective carbon cutter’

While afforestation is allowed under the Kyoto Protocol as a way to offset carbon emissions, avoiding deforestation is not, explains environmentalresearchweb.

The article by Lynn Dicks, a contributing editor for the website, reports that a study by a team of international researchers argue that leaving trees standing should feature in the UN’s global climate agreement.
[...]