Although the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation cannot be disputed, there has been much uncertainty and global debate about the best ways to tap into forest carbon sequestration opportunities. The Forests Dialogue, convened by Yale University, has released five guiding principles on ensuring forest-related climate change options take into account local and indigenous people in forest areas.
- Ensure that forest-related climate change options support sustainable development in both forest-rich and forest-poor countries.
- Tackle the drivers of deforestation that lie outside the forests sector.
- Support transparent, inclusive, and accountable forest governance.
- Encourage local processes to clarify and strengthen tenure, property, and carbon rights.
- Provide substantial additional funding to build the capacity to put the above principles into practice.
The Forests Dialogue expresses the consensus view of more than 250 leaders of environmental and social groups, businesses, Indigenous Peoples’ and forest community groups, trade unions, forest owners, governments, and international organizations.
The full Forests Dialogue’s statement, Beyond REDD: The Role of Forests in Climate Change and related materials, can be found at: www.theforestsdialogue.org/climate.html
Written by: ASB Blog Editor
