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Potentials and Risks of the African Forest Landscape Restoration (AFR100) Initiative

Posted 26th October 2022 in [:en]1Campaigns[:], Forests and Climate Change

by Philip Owen, published 25 October 2022 in germanclimatefinance.de | Commercial tree plantations are a major cause of land degradation and have no place in efforts to restore degraded ecosystems. Germany as one of the main supporters of AFR100 needs to act on excluding them from the initiative. Across Africa, commercial tree plantations are one of the driving forces of land degradation and all its devastating environmental and socioeconomic consequences. It’s for that reason alarm bells are ringing amongst communities …


Statement: Monoculture Tree Plantations Are Not Forests!

Posted 21st September 2022 in Forests and Climate Change, Extractive industries, tourism and infrastructure

By the African Biomass Working Group, a member of Environmental Paper Network’s Forests, Climate and Biomass Working Group and Global Forest Coalition member organisations in Africa September 21 is the International Day of Struggle Against Monoculture Tree Plantations, when organisations around the world raise awareness about the impacts of monoculture tree plantations.  Forestry, afforestation and reforestation are often promoted by governments and corporations as a means of climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration. It is true that forests have many …


Stolen land and fading forests in Chile: New report on conflict plantations

Posted 11th July 2022 in Resources and publications, Forests and Climate Change

A new report from the Environmental Paper Network, GFC and Colectivo VientoSur reveals another case of “Conflict Plantations,” this time in Chile. Read in English / leer en español Chile’s military police were recently sent back to garrison Araucania in Southern-central Chile, where the pulp and paper industry is embroiled in a longstanding conflict with the Mapuche Indigenous people. This is not a good sign. Last November, former President Piñera declared a state of emergency in the area, and a …


Working paper: The risks of large-scale biosequestration in the context of Carbon Dioxide Removal

Posted 28th January 2018 in Supporting Community Conservation, Forests and Climate Change, Resources and publications

Abstract The explicit reference to “a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases” (Art. 4) in the 2015 Paris Agreement has given a strong impetus to Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) proposals that aim to remove greenhouse gas emissions through bioenergy and carbon capture and storage (BECCS). While actual implementation of BECCS is still in a state of “infancy” according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, large-scale biosequestration in the form …


21 September: GFC commemorates the international day of struggle against monoculture plantations

Posted 21st September 2017 in Forests and Climate Change

To mark this international day of struggle against monoculture tree plantations, we are publishing a striking photo essay about the role of eucalyptus plantations in Portugal’s awful forest fires, as well as an opinion article in the Ecologist Magazine. In it we emphasize the importance of conserving and restoring natural forests. Photo-essay Click here to see the complete photos and stories on our photo library Opinion article Click here to see the op-ed by Oliver Munnion La lucha sigue/the struggle continues! …


Brief comments on two recent articles: 1. Editorial: Meeting global challenges in forestry / 2. The World (Fake) Forestry Congress

Posted 24th September 2013 in News, Forests and Climate Change

Here (below) are two articles from the latest FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) ‘Forestry News’ for your interest. The first article quotes Tiina Vähänen, currently REDD Coordinator at the FAO, and formerly Senior Global Programme Officer at the UN-REDD Programme, who will preside over the World Forestry Congress in 2015. Also see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tML6P4Tt0tA . Though in this short interview, she comes over as somewhat sceptical of the potential of REDD+ to deliver equitable benefits to local communities. Ms Vähänen states: “Forests and trees …


Palm Oil: No Thanks: We scrub away the palm oil lobby’s dirty greenwashing

Posted 3rd September 2013 in News, Forests and Climate Change

(cross-posted) Sep 2, 2013 Joint press release by Rainforest Rescue, Society for Threatened Peoples, Robin Wood, Urgewald and Watch Indonesia!  Berlin Activists from Rainforest Rescue, the Society for Threatened Peoples, Robin Wood, Urgewald  and Watch Indonesia! are scrubbing the pavements in front of  two conference venues used by palm oil lobbyists in Berlin.  The environmental and human rights organisations are protesting against today’s inaugural meeting of the “Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil” and against tomorrow’s first European Conference of the …


GFC’s Biofuels Statement at COP11

Posted 12th October 2012 in News, Forests and Climate Change

Thank you chair, I am speaking on behalf of Biofuelwatch, EcoNexus, Timberwatch and other NGO members of the Global Forest Coalition. There is now significant scientific evidence of direct and indirect negative impacts arising from expanding industrial tree monocultures, biofuel crops and other sources of industrial bioenergy. These impacts include the cultivation of invasive tree species, deforestation and forest degradation, the loss of grasslands, land grabbing, community displacement, increasing hunger and food shortages, whilst failing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions …


Press Conference: Monday, 8 October 2012, 11am Bioeconomy as Main Promoter of Financialization of Nature

Posted 8th October 2012 in Press releases, Forests and Climate Change

As the 11th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 11) opens in Hyderabad, India, a diverse alliance of concerned environmental organizations highlight two massive new threats to biodiversity: the “bioeconomy” and the financialization of nature. October 8th, 11am-12pm, Hitex 3 media room at the CBD Conference   Global Forest Coalition and Biofuelwatch will hold a press conference this morning to provide further information of the main threats that accompany the proposed ‘bioeconomy’, both ecological …


21 September – International Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations

Posted 4th October 2010 in Forests and Climate Change

September 21 is International Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations. On this day, environmental and social groups around the world call attention to the harmful effects of tree monocultures on biodiversity and local people.