Previous Media Releases
| March 21st – 2014
Exhibition on green land grabbing On the occasion of International Forest Day, the Global Forest Coalition [1] in collaboration with Critical Information Collective [2], Global Justice Ecology Project [3], and Langelle Photography [4], launched an exhibition [5] that demonstrates the impacts of so-called ‘green land grabbing’ on local communities. |
| November 13th – 2013
New Report: REDD+ does not address underlying causes of forest loss Warsaw, Poland –A new report released by the Global Forest Coalition [1] today at the 19th UN Climate Conference concludes that projects and policies related to REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks) fail to address the underlying causes of forest loss and might contribute to further deforestation instead. |
| October 17th – 2013
Wood Bioenergy: green land grabs for renewable energy Montreal, Canada – Today, at a meeting of the Convention on Biodiversity [1], Global Forest Coalition [2] and Biofuelwatch[3] will launch a new report highlighting the impacts of expanding use of wood for generating industrial scale electricity and heat, especially in Europe and North America. |
| September 20th – 2013
International Day of Action against Monoculture Tree Plantations Ban on Genetically Engineered Trees Demanded New York, US – On 21 September, the International Day of Action against Monoculture Tree Plantations [1], organizations, forest dependent communities, and Indigenous Peoples from around the globe will denounce industrial tree plantations due to their devastating social and ecological impacts. |
| 12 June – 2013
New Report spells out Potential Negative Impacts of Bioeconomy and Markets in Environmental Services on Women Bonn/Bogota – A new report [1] by the Global Forest Coalition [2] was launched at a side event on equity in climate mitigation policies organized by GenderCC at the climate talks in Bonn, Germany [3]. The report highlights the serious negative impacts that the proposed new ‘bioeconomy’ and existing markets in ‘environmental services’ could have on women around the world. |
| 3 June – 2013
Alternatives to Failed Forest Carbon Offset Schemes promoted at Climate Talks Bonn/Asuncion – As another round of climate talks [1] opens today in Bonn, Germany, a coalition of human rights and forest groups have launched a manual for communities on alternatives to REDD+ and other forms of ‘green land grabbing’ [2]. The manual, which has been produced by the Global Forest Coalition [3], Critical Information Collective [4], Biofuelwatch [5], the ICCA Consortium [6] and Econexus [7] highlights the risks of REDD+ [8] projects and large-scale bioenergy production schemes for communities. Many of these schemes have been associated with involuntary displacements of communities and other forms of so-called ‘green land grabbing’. |
| 22 May – 2013
Industrial Livestock Production Key Threat to World’s Forests and Biodiversity New York/Asuncion – On the occasion of International Day for Biodiversity and the start of UN talks on a possible sustainable development goal (SDG) on agriculture [1], a coalition of environmental NGOs has published a briefing paper to raise awareness of the negative impacts of rapidly expanding industrial livestock farming and large-scale cattle ranching on the world’s forests and biodiversity. Industrial animal agriculture cuts across multiple sectors, affecting land use, water, food security, public health, and climate change. But too often these intersections are overlooked. |
| 14 April – 2013
New Report Highlights Indigenous Territories and Community Rights as Alternatives to Forest Carbon Markets Istanbul–The current logjam in the negotiations at the 10th session of the UN Forum on Forests regarding forest carbon offset markets and other funding mechanisms for forest conservation does not imply that deforestation cannot be halted, argues a new report [1] by the Global Forest Coalition [2], Econexus [3] and the ICCA Consortium [4]. |
| 19 March – 2013
World Bank Must End Support for Honduran Palm Oil Company Implicated in Dozens of Murders International NGOs have condemned a statement by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) [1] which defends the record of a Honduran palm oil company, Grupo Dinant, which is implicated in dozens of murders as well as other human rights abuses. The IFC statement explicitly admits to supporting training for the company’s armed security guards. A World Bank Ombudsman [2] is currently investigating an IFC loan of $30 million for Grupo Dinant which was approved in 2009, at least half of which has already been disbursed. This month, an Open Letter by 17 NGOs [3] and an international petition signed by over 63,000 people [4] have protested the loan and called on the World Bank to immediately cease their support for Grupo Dinant. |
| December 6th – 2012
UK Alleges it will Address Drivers of Climate Change – but Aims to Subsidise a Massive Expansion of Wood-based Biomass Industry Doha, Qatar – As negotiations failed to finalise an agreement on a controversial forest policy called REDD+ [1] during the ongoing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change talks in Doha, Qatar [2], forest groups published a letter challenging claims that the drivers of forest change are being addressed by countries within the REDD+ negotiations. |
| November 27th – 2012
Turning Forests into Fuel for the New ‘Bio-economy?’: What Really Happens When Forests are Commodified – Voices From Around The World, A Video Repository Doha, Qatar- As Governments gathering for the 18th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) continue discussions on the need to address the drivers of forest loss, the Global Forest Coalition [2], today launches a video repository that tells a powerful story about the commodification of forests as a key driver of climate change. This can only worsen as new industrial ‘bio-economy’ strategies come into play. |
| October 19th – 2012
Forest Groups Welcome Global Biodiversity Conference Call to Review Biofuel Subsidies and Incentives Hyderabad – India. The Global Forest Coalition [1] has welcomed the recommendation of the 11th Conference of the Parties of the Biodiversity Convention (CBD COP11) to review and where necessary to withdraw subsidies and other incentive schemes for biofuels and other economic sectors that cause harm to biodiversity. |
| September 21st -2012
Activist Groups Denounce Bio-economy and Sustainable Biomass Myth on International Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations Asuncion/London/Glasgow/Buffalo – On the occasion of the International Day of Protest Against Monoculture Tree Plantations {1}, the Global Forest Coalition [2], Biofuelwatch [3] Critical Information Collective [4] and Global Justice Ecology Project [5] warn against EU and US plans to expand the bio-economy [6]. This new industrial strategy assumes that massive amounts of additional biomass could be produced sustainably in order to be burned for industrial and commercial electricity and heat, or processed to replace petroleum fuels used in transportation or various manufacturing and industrial processes. |
| June 21st – 2012
Forest campaigners welcome opposition to REDD+ and other market-based approaches at Rio+20 Rio de Janeiro-While sharing the view of other civil society groups that the outcomes of Rio+20 will contribute little to addressing the multiple crises humanity is facing today, the Global Forest Coalition [1] has welcomed the opposition of many developing countries to market-based approaches like REDD+ [2]. Thanks to the opposition of developing countries many proposals promoting such “green economy” approaches were deleted from the text. |
| June 19th – 2012
GMO Trees and the Green Economy: Green Deserts for All? Rio de Janeiro, Brazil–While the highly controversial “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative [1] is underway today at Energy Day at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, the international STOP GE Trees Campaign [2] is demanding a global ban on the release of destructive and dangerous genetically engineered trees (also called GE trees, GMO trees or GM trees) into the environment. |
| June 12th – 2012
Civil Society Groups Denounce Sustainable Energy for All (SEFA) Initiative promoted at Rio+20 Earth Summit As the final negotiations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 conference get underway in Rio de Janeiro, almost 50 civil society groups have published an open letter denouncing the UN Secretary General’s new “Sustainable Energy For All Initiative” (SEFA). The letter states: “The SEFA process and Action Agenda are deeply flawed and threaten to further entrench destructive, polluting and unjust energy policies for corporate profit under the guise of alleviating energy poverty, while undermining community rights to energy sovereignty and self determination”. |
| May 16th – 2012
International Environmental Organizations Condemn IKEA’s Logging of Old-growth Forests in Russia The Swedish-owned international furniture retailer, IKEA, is logging old-growth forests and other high conservation value forests in Russian Karelia through its subsidiary Swedwood. A petition has been launched by Swedish NGO Protect the Forest to help change IKEA and Swedwood’s destructive ways. Now other environmental organizations from all over the world are also expressing their concern and outrage. |
| April 26th – 2012
The Bioeconomy is Bad for Biodiversity, Global Forest Coalition Warns- Obama’s Plan Bodes Ill for Human Rights and the Environment, New Report Finds As U.S. President Obama announced his new “National Bioeconomy Blueprint” today, the Global Forest Coalition [1] unveiled its report, “Bio-economy versus Biodiversity“[2]. The report’s conclusions differ sharply from the President’s “Blueprint,” alerting policy-makers to the serious negative impacts the so-called bioeconomy will have on forests, forest-dependent peoples, and biodiversity. |
| January 24th – 2011
New Video Reveals Global Resistance to Forest-Carbon Project: A Darker Shade of Green Documents Critical Perspectives on REDD Global Forest Coalition and Global Justice Ecology Project have produced a new video entitled A Darker Shade of Green: REDD Alert and the Future of Forests. The twenty-eight minute video, launched today, documents opposition around the globe to controversial programs that claim to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) by putting forests into the carbon market. |
| December 10th – 2011
COP17 succumbs to Climate Apartheid Antidote is Cochabamba Peoples’ Agreement Durban, South Africa. Decisions resulting from the UN COP17 climate summit in Durban constitute a crime against humanity, according to Climate Justice Now! a broad coalition of social movements and civil society. Here in South Africa, where the world was inspired by the liberation struggle of the country’s black majority, the richest nations have cynically created a new regime of climate apartheid. |
| December 8th – 2011
AND THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS REDD FAIRY TALE IS…. “REDD will support Indigenous Peoples” Durban, South Africa. Global Forest Coalition has published a series of “Grimm REDD Fairy Tales” [1] to assist delegates in distinguishing truth from fiction regarding the controversial program of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+). |
| December 6th – 2011
Indigenous Peoples and Allies Call for a Moratorium on REDD+ Durban, South Africa. Indigenous Peoples participating in the UNFCCC negotiations have called for a moratorium on REDD+ today. In a statement released to the press, the Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities against REDD and for Life declares: “REDD+ threatens the survival of Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent communities and could result in the biggest land grab of all time. Based on in-depth investigations, a growing number of recent reports provide evidence that Indigenous Peoples are being subjected to violations of their rights as a result of the implementation of REDD+-type programs and policies.” |
| December 2nd – 2011
Indigenous and Community-led Forest Initiatives Offer Solutions to Today’s Problems Local Communities Need Rights and Respect, Not REDD Durban, South Africa. Studies show that the best guardians of forest lands are the people who live there. Indigenous Peoples and other Forest-dependent peoples agree. Yet, all over the world, they are increasingly beset by policies and incentive schemes imposed by governments and outside agencies that degrade their forests, their cultures, their livelihoods, and their lifeways. |
| December 1st – 2011
Indigenous Leaders Alert the UNFCCC and the World to the Imminent Threat that REDD Poses to their Territories and Livelihoods Durban, South Africa (IPCCA). As the UNFCCC COP 17 opens in Durban, South Africa, a gathering of indigenous leaders from around the world discussing biocultural protocols and REDD warns the UNFCCC and the international community of the grave danger that REDD and market based solutions to climate change mitigation pose to their cultures, territories and livelihoods. |
| September 21st – 2011
Environmental Groups Denounce Diversion of Forest Funding to REDD Plantations On the World Day against Monoculture Tree Plantations [1], a coalition of environmental groups and Indigenous peoples organizations [2] has launched a call to the international donor community to halt the diversion of forest conservation funding to dubious schemes to “Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and enhance forest carbon stocks” (REDD+), which are being promoted within the framework of the United Nations Climate Convention. |
| June 8th – 2011
New “responsible” soy label misleads consumers On Wednesday 8 June, the first bags of certified “responsible” soy will be issued to companies such as Ahold and FrieslandCampina, during a ceremony in Rotterdam. This voluntary certification scheme is an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund and will be marketed by the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS). One certificate represents one tonne of soy products: beans, flour or oil. [1] |
| 26 November 2010
Forest and Indigenous Groups Reject Cancún Forest Deal REDD Will Violate Rights, Accelerate Emissions, Groups WarnIndigenous and environmental rights groups warn that an agreement on REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) at the upcoming UN climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico will spell disaster for forest peoples worldwide, limiting the rights of indigenous and peasant people over their territories. The real solution, the groups argue, is for developed countries to reduce fossil fuel emissions at the source. |
| 1 November 2010
Victory for Developing countries over Northern business interests Biodiversity Summit Adopts Binding Decisions Against Biopiracy and Geo-engineering
The Global Forest Coalition and many other organizations congratulate Southern countries on their success in reaching a legally binding agreement to equitably share the benefits of genetic resources at the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan. |
| 18 October 2010
EU bio-energy targets cause biodiversity loss Environmental and social justice groups warn that incentives for wood-based bio-energy will trigger dramatic biodiversity loss, as forests and grasslands are converted to monocultures. |
| 21 September 2010
Negative impacts of tree plantations ignored by Northern consumer countries A worldwide coalition of environmental and indigenous groups warns that international policies governing responses to climate change still promote monoculture tree plantations as a solution, despite their negative impacts on biodiversity, water resources, local communities and the climate. |
| 30 August 2010
Nature Communications article shows ‘true colours’ of biochar advocates Groups condemn implied land-grab for biochar. |
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