21 Nov 2000

Published by Fern

Climate Update V

Dear friends,

Bad news unfortunately. Global warming will not be halted and forests will be destroyed unless there are drastic changes in The Hague in the coming days. Please read on....... The text below is from a press release we sent out tonight. The full press release is attached. You can help by forwarding the press release to press contacts in your country.

CLIMATE DEAL SET TO WORSEN FOREST CRISIS

The deal in negotiation tonight ( 21-11 at 21.00) at the Climate Change Conference in The Hague will lead to the destruction of old growth forests while failing to stop global warming. Fern's campaigners inside the conference report that the current text under negotiation will allow governments to claim carbon credits for replacing old growth forests with large scale tree plantations. Fern is urging EU member states to ensure no carbon credits can be cliamed from large scale tree plantations through the Kyoto Protocol, and specifically the Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. Currently the deal being discussed by Ministers at COP6 includes:

* No penalties for cutting down old growth forests. Natural forests are valubale carbon storages as well as centres of biodiversity and home to many forest peoples. Forest desctruction currently contributes about 20% of CO2 emissions and brings with it major environmental and social damage. Under the current deal this destruction and emmission-release wil continue unabated for at least the next 8 years.

* Incentives for planting large scale tree plantations. Governments will be allowed to claim carbon credits by establishing fast growing tree plantations while not reducing greehouse gas emissions. Local people in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Canada and Australia -where plantations not only take the land but also destroy local livelihoods and cause a loss of biodiversity- are fighting large scale tree plantations.

If the current text is accepted countries like Indonesia and Canada could continue to destroy native forests and replace them with large scale tree plantations while earning carbon credits and money for plantation schemes.

In addition the draft text includes:

* Ridiculous definition of forests. Under the COP6 definition one single large mango tree could be considered a Kyoto forest and so could any tree plantation. This offers no protection for forests or forest peoples.

* Biodiversity and human rights ignored. The Convention on Biological Diversity and the Draft Declaration on Indigenous Peoples Rights are not mentioned in the main text.

* No funds for conservation projects. The much hoped for funding for forest conservation projects through the Clean Development Mechanism seems more unlikely than ever in the light of the current negotiating text.

We will keep you informed

Greetings from all of us,

Jutta, Sofia and Saskia