Innovative and transparent technology transforms the ability of countries to monitor their forests and account for greenhouse gases, evidenced by the 13.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide forest emission reductions or enhancements that have been reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The hybrid series "How innovation is driving change in forestry", hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), covers this topic and more in celebration of the International Day of Forests. 

Join partners of the Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) at FAO headquarters (Sheikh Zayed Centre), tune into the live webcast or register here to participate in the virtual discussion on 21 March 2024, 13.00-18.00 (UTC +1). Interpretation will be provided in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian.

Outstanding innovations that are helping to protect forests and unlock the many benefits they bring is the central theme of the event. Participants will learn how innovation in the sector advances forest monitoring and ecosystem restoration, halts deforestation and degradation, and empowers Indigenous Peoples.

The event will open with remarks from Zhimin Wu (NFO Director, FAO), The Rt. Hon. Graham Stuart (Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, United Kingdom) and Rebecca Moore (Director, Google Earth). At this time, the Google-FAO Memorandum of Understanding will be signed and the new “Open Foris Ground” application will be launched.

Following this, a series of fascinating technical sessions with esteemed panellists will be held:

• Transformation in technology for forest monitoring and reporting will be discussed with keynote speaker Marieke Sandker (FAO Forestry Officer) and moderated by Till Neeff (FAO Forestry Officer).
• Ecosystem restoration as a solution to global challenges entails the next session, moderated by Khalil Walji (The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry) with keynote speaker Tom Crowther (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich). 
• Empowering Indigenous Peoples through mapping and securing customary land will be discussed with keynote speaker Ramesh Sharma (Ekta Parishad) and moderated by Eva Hershaw (International Land Coalition).
• The need for new technological innovations to halt deforestation and land degradation will then compose the closing session with moderator Laura Vary (World Resources Institute) and keynote speaker René Colditz (Joint Research Centre, European Commission).

Please refer to the programme of the event for further details on the agenda and panellists.

For more information on the International Day of Forests, its social media toolkit and how to get involved, please view the dedicated website.