News

Looking back at 200 issues of ForestWatch

To mark Forest Watch’s 200th issue, we asked FERN’s co-founder, Saskia Ozinga, to comment on the road that has been travelled since the first issue in February 1996.

Q: How much has changed since the first ForestWatch (FW) issue?...

15/02/2016

Press Releases

European Commission’s biodiversity offset report shows it is deaf to the concerns of EU citizens

This press release raises concern about a new European Commission report on biodiversity offsetting which was commissioned before the conclusion of the Commission consultation on No Net Loss.

16/01/2016

What does the Paris climate agreement mean for forests and forest peoples’ rights?

"The unquestioned reliance on negative emissions to deliver on the Paris goals is the greatest threat to the Agreement”

Kevin Andersen

There is no doubt the Paris climate agreement was a historic moment and an achievement of...

01/01/2016

Forest Watch special - VPA update December 2015

Every six months, Fern produces an update looking at the present situation with regards the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan, with a specific focus on VPAs. This edition is from December 2015. 

21/12/2015

Circular economy package misses key opportunities

On 2 December, the European Commission launched its ‘flagship’ environmental policy of the year: the Circular Economy Package, which aims to tackle a wide range of resource-related issues, including waste disposal, packaging...

15/12/2015

Moving toward an EU action plan on deforestation

At a high-level event in November organized by WWF, Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, declared for the first time that the Commission will consider developing an EU action plan to halt deforestation.

He said the...

15/12/2015

Coal’s hidden ‘double whammy’: 12 million hectares of forest at risk

A forest area larger than Portugal is at risk from coal mining worldwide, a report released by Fern during the Paris climate change talks reveals.

Using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping technology to overlay data for...

15/12/2015

How LULUCF could increase mitigation ambition in EU

As the European Commission enters the final stages of deciding how to integrate Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) in the EU Climate and Energy package for 2021-2030, Fern has released a report showing that this can...

15/12/2015

Pope’s visit reminds the world of CAR’s needs

Pope Francis’s historic visit to Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, on 30 November 2015 is a powerful message to the international community to extend a strong hand to a deeply divided and torn country.

The Pope’s...

15/12/2015

Dutch scientists’ message on biomass should be heard throughout EU

The Netherlands has much to fear from climate change and rising sea levels, but is the worst-performing country in Europe on climate and energy targets – even bringing new coal plants into operation in recent years. Ahead of the...

15/12/2015