- 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.
NEW YORK, May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 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, Vice-President of
IUFRO and main lead author of the report,
states: "Ambitious and reductionist pledges must be a
thing of the past. We are too late in the game to use win-win
narratives and not include the social dependencies and impacts to
best understand our forests. Measuring 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.
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 at
1:15-2:30 pm EDT (UTC -4), Conference
Room 4.
Link to side event webcast:
https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1vh60svu2
Link to report and policy brief:
https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/follow-up-studies/international-forest-governance-2024/
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
About IUFRO
The International Union of Forest Research Organizations
(IUFRO) 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 will take place in
Stockholm, Sweden, in June this
year.
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