FERN | tracking EU policies, focusing on forests

Recent publications

Liberia - The Promise Betrayed

January 18, 2010

This report by Liberian NGO SDI reflects on the state of forest law enforcement and governance in post-conflict Liberia. It catalogues the major flaws and illegalities that occurred during the handing out of forest concessions in the last few years. It reaffirms that the potential of the logging industry to deliver jobs and revenue is exaggerated – often intentionally so.

Forest watch Issue 145 and Copenhagen Special

January 15, 2010

EU Member States reject prohibition of the sale of illegal timber
NGOs reject Ecolabel for copying and graphic paper
Will Europe follow America’s ECAs in reducing GHGs
Integrated Product Policy and Beyond
Member States’ support binding biomass criteria
Copenhagen Update

Gordon Brown’s post Copenhagen rhetoric likely to turn a tragedy into a catastrophe

December 23, 2009

Four days after the Copenhagen summit ended without an agreement, NGOs are warning that Gordon Brown’s finger pointing and the growing media hum about the need for ‘major reform of the UN process’ are the first steps in a process whereby wealthy nations can unilaterally come up with “solutions” that will condemn millions to death.

Civil society concerned that REDD deal will not stop the forests from falling

December 18, 2009

On 17 December 2009, the penultimate day of the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, over 100 civil society groups from all continents voiced their concern that the proposed deal on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) is likely to fail, despite being described as the most significant likely outcome of the conference.

Letter to DG Environment asking for legally binding biomass criteria

December 10, 2009

Letter from FANC, Friends of the Earth Europe, FERN, Forests Monitor and The Woodland League to Mr Falkenberg, Director General from DG Environment, asking him to ensure that DG Environment does not sign off on any Commission report that proposes voluntary rather than binding standards for biomass.

Why Congo Basin countries stand to lose out from a market based REDD

December 7, 2009

This briefing paper unravels the implications of setting a historical baseline with a correction factor for low deforestation countries. It also explains why carbon markets are unlikely to raise the anticipated funds for forest protection, due to the unsuitability of applying these policy mechanisms to forests, and why any funds raised are unlikely to reach Central Africa or other regions with low deforestation rates and weak governance.

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Features

The story of cap and trade

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

Carbon Trading

FERN’s aim is to move the climate debate beyond carbon trading and to support communities faced with carbon offset projects.

FERN’s analysis: The European Commission has described climate change as “one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet”. FERN believes that to attempt to combat such a threat with a market mechanism designed to allow emissions in one place to continue on the back of a claimed reduction in another place is foolish. Reductions need to happen everywhere, particularly in industrialised countries. And they need to happen now. We should not be spending time, money and effort putting in place the infrastructure for a new global carbon trading scheme at the expense of investment in genuine emission reductions and establishing low carbon energy and transport infrastructures.

FERN’s aim is for an EU commitment to halting forest loss in a way that ensures forest peoples’ rights and is not based on carbon offsets.

FERN’s analysis: Initiatives which focus on reducing deforestation are rightly deemed as urgent, but there is a real danger that the focus on carbon will distract from dealing with the real drivers of deforestation. This is particularly true for Initiatives aimed at to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). They could easily end up delaying the necessary transition to low carbon economies if they allow for industralised countries to offset their own fossil fuel emissions with claimed reductions in deforestation elsewhere. FERN also shares the concern that as forests gain in monetary value as a result of the international REDD debates, forest peoples' rights are increasingly violated. Already incidents abound where private investors buy up forested land and national governments assert their perceived rights over forest lands to the detriment of local communities, in order to benefit from forest carbon cash.

FERN’s aim is to work with partners to improve forest governance so as to halt the illegal timber trade in Europe and return forest land to the ownership of local communities.

FERN’s analysis: Around half of the tropical timber and 20 per cent of timber from boreal forests imported into the EU is illegally sourced. Illegal logging destroys forests and damages communities, but it is hard to tackle because it is often an integral part of a nation’s economy, giving financial support to political parties and companies. FERN believes the challenge is to address the root causes of illegal operations: corruption, unclear tenure situation and the excessive influence of the timber industry.

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