Publications

Forest governance

VPAs and NDCs: Sharing the Toolbox? – How lessons learned from EU FLEGT can be put to work for the Paris Agreement

As the Paris Agreement is ratified by each of its signatory states, they commit to put into action their specific national plans to combat climate change. These plans are called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Fern...

14/03/2018

What role do forests and governance play in countries’ nationally determined contributions to the Paris Climate Agreement?

This study analyses the correlation between forest governance and deforestation, and aims to improve national understanding of the challenges involved in land-use governance. The multistakeholder Voluntary Partnership Agreement...

14/03/2018

NGO Statements

NGO Letter: Stop the Svydovets ski resort in Ukraine

A letter from 21 NGOs asking the President of Ukraine to stop the huge ski resort project planned in the “Svydovets” massif in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. The area is described as one of the most beautiful and least...

14/03/2018

NGO Statements

Civil society statement: EU Protein Plan for Europe - Please stand up for forests, people and animals!

On March 8, NGOs sent a letter to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development calling them on standing up for forests, people and animals when voting on the EU Protein Plan for...

14/03/2018

Reports

How do forest NGOs deal with gender in their work?

This study was funded by Fern to analyse the extent to which Forest NGOs take gender into account and how they design their programmes to ensure women and men's different needs are taken into account. Its initial aim was to help...

13/03/2018

Reports

Implications of new research for the IPCC 1.5°C special report, with a focus on land use

Interested scientists are currently invited to review the Second Order Draft of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on how to achieve the 1.5°C target. Assembled here are key findings from a number...

16/02/2018

Briefing Notes

EU consumption of cocoa and deforestation

Cocoa consumption is a major cause of deforestation – estimated to have destroyed an area of forest the size of Belgium between 1988 and 2008.

Other problems include endemic use of child labour, local tenure conflicts, and...

14/02/2018

NGO Statements

NGO Statement calling on the Commission to propose an EU Action Plan

On February 7, NGOs sent an open letter to the EU Commission calling it on to commit to developing a formal action plan, including legislative measures, as soon as possible within the course of the coming months.Failure to act...

07/02/2018

The right to agroecology: Using the law to support sustainable farming in Brazil

This publication shows how existing national and international legal frameworks can support sustainable agriculture in Brazil, thereby reducing pressure to convert forests to large plantations. Small-scale farmers are increasingly...

10/01/2018

NGO Statements

EU proposals on bioenergy: a serious threat to climate and sustainable development goals

This letter written on behalf of 30 NGOs asks Members of the European Parliament to support crucial changes to the proposed rules on bioenergy in the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive.

09/01/2018