Publications

Reports

Exploring credibility gaps in Voluntary Partnership Agreements: A review of independent monitoring initiatives and lessons to learn

Independent forest monitoring has been a feature of international efforts to improve forest governance and reduce illegal logging since the 1990s. This study considers the role of independent monitoring, involving civil society,...

11/10/2013

Reports

Carbon Discredited: Why the EU should steer clear of forest carbon offsets

The N’hambita Forest Carbon Offset Pilot Project, run by the company Envirotrade, and initially funded by European Commission (EC) money, has failed to deliver most of its climate change, development, financial and learning...

17/06/2013

REDD+ safeguards: more than good intentions? Case studies from the Accra Caucus

This is the third volume of case study reports from the Accra Caucus on Forests and Climate Change, reporting on the implementation of REDD+ in the following countries; Guyana, Nepal, Indonesia, Cameroon and the Democratic...

04/06/2013

Briefing Notes

Subsidising Climate Change: How industry uses the EU ETS to manipulate State Aid rules for their own profit

This short briefing looking at how State Aid is being used to offset the indirect costs of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The Commission is attempting to remedy the low price of carbon, but State Aid guidelines mean...

03/06/2013

Reports

EU ETS myth busting: Why it can’t be reformed and shouldn’t be replicated

Given the urgent need to limit  global warming, it is vital that the European Union (EU) gives itself the best tools with which to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since the launch of the EU's ‘cornerstone policy’ to reduce...

15/04/2013

Reports

Improving forest governance: A comparison of FLEGT VPAs and their impact

Ten years since the EU Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan was launched, and one month before the introduction of the EU Timber Regulation which makes it a criminal offence to put illegally sourced timber on...

04/03/2013

NGO Statements

ETS reforms steal attention from measures that could actually work

FERN wrote this guest commentary for PointCarbon (www.pointcarbon.com) to highlight that the time has come to give up waiting for the "market" to deliver the structural changes needed to keep global warming below two degrees and...

01/03/2013

Reports

Felling the Golden Goose. The Sustainable Limits of Finland’s Biomass Ambitions

Projections of future wood availability indicate that Finnish forests should be able to provide sufficient to achieve the country’s 2020 targets for renewable energy. Beyond 2020 it is difficult to predict whether forests will be...

19/10/2012

Reports

Degrading ecosystems to prevent climate change. Can Czech forests and soils survive the dash for biomass?

This report looks at solid and gaseous biomass use in the Czech Republic to see whether existing legal and regulatory frameworks are sufficient to guarantee sustainable biomass production. It concludes that to achieve responsible...

19/10/2012

Reports

Healthy Growth? Risk and Opportunity in Bulgaria’s Biomass Industry

There are currently no sustainability standards for biomass production in Bulgaria at either national or EU level. Meanwhile interest is growing in new biomass plants, boilers, and combined heat and power (CHP) plants. This report...

19/10/2012