Forests have four major roles in climate change: they currently contribute about one-sixth of global carbon emissions when cleared, overused or degraded; they react sensitively to a changing climate; when managed sustainably, they produce woodfuels as a benign alternative to fossil fuels; and finally, they have the potential to absorb about one-tenth of global carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century into their biomass, soils and products and store them - in principle in perpetuity. [more...]

Newsflash

The scope of a REDD+ instrument is a key and increasingly contentious issue in the ongoing negotiations in UNFCCC. The lack of a common understanding of forest terminology is confusing the debate. The Note addresses this issue. Link  

FAO programme on forests and climate change

The programme on forests and climate change seeks to contribute to mitigating climate change by advocating and strengthening the concept of sustainable forest management.

The activities aim to integrate climate change issues in core forestry activities, to assist member countries in climate change-related tasks and participate and assist in expert groupes and conferences bringing the key role of forests to the table.   [more...] 

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