4th Dec: Forests4 December 2008
Forests are a hot issue at the UN climate talks. Destruction of forests causes around 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. So it's vital we work out how to stop this happening.
Petricky coastal forest in Madagascar
But what's currently on the table at the talks makes me wince.
A proposal has been made that rich countries could buy up chunks of forest as 'credits'. They could then carry on emitting greenhouse gas emissions as usual.
This won't solve climate change. Even worse it could cause serious problems for the millions of indigenous peoples and forest communities across the world.
Lack of support
Unfortunately few governments properly recognise the land rights of the communities that live in forests.
If forests suddenly become more valuable then companies and organisations will rush in to grab a piece of the action. The 1.6 billion people who rely on forests for their livelihoods are not getting a look-in.
Forest land being cleared to make a palm oil plantation.
During the Poznan talks Friends of the Earth is talking to governments from around the world about these issues. Yesterday we held an event alongside the main climate conference.
It was held jointly with Indigenous Peoples representatives from Paraguay, Panama, Thailand and Cameroon.
Cause for concern
Victor Hugo Vela is from a forest community in Bolivia. He explained how his ancestral lands have already been included in a 'credit' scheme.
This project has created many problems for the community including:
- Rights of indigenous people
not being addressed properly. - Community concerns
given only token acknowledgement. - No benefits
for those who own the land. - Division
amongst local people.
This scheme is a rampant violation of our rights.
Victor Hugo Vela
We've got a year before the global climate deal must be sewn up. Trading bits of forest mustn't make the final cut. But how do we tackle deforestation instead?
Global solutions
Massive demand for soy, palm oil and paper products in industrialised countries leads to deforestation in developing countries.
Friends of the Earth and people like Victor are pushing for this demand to be tackled head on through policy changes. This can be done by:
- Investing in public transport
so we don't need biofuels. - Ensuring food production
doesn't cause deforestation. - Funding local and national schemes
to strengthen rights of people living in forests.
© Paul Hellyer
