Brussels pushing for forests in global climate deal

The European Commission will push for an international commitment to end global forest cover loss by 2030 as part of a new 'forestry package' that proposes new rules to prevent illegal logging while testing the inclusion of forest credits in a global carbon market.

Deforestation accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, whereby a lucrative global trade in illegal lumber is seen as a principal contributor to the loss of the world's tropical forest cover, which is disappearing at a rate of 13 million hectares per year, according to the European Commission.

Existing EU efforts to curb illegal logging are based on voluntary agreements under the so-called Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) action plan.

Forests and deforestation were excluded from the Commission's 23 January climate and energy package, however, on the grounds that it is too difficult to accurately measure emissions from the sector.

But a scheme to include forest protection in current EU efforts to fight climate change received the support of the Parliament's Environment (ENVI) Committee.

On 7 October, the committee gave its backing to a report by Irish Christian Democrat MEP Avril Doyle, who wants to see up to 5% of emissions reductions under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) obtained through the preservation of forests in developing countries, provided that an international climate deal is in place (EurActiv 08/10/08).

The package, presented by EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in Brussels on 17 October, comes amid growing calls to include forest and deforestation issues in the global fight against climate change.

Selling timber and the land on which it is harvested remains a far more lucrative enterprise than keeping trees standing.

Brussels hopes that a new global fund, known as the Global Forest Carbon Mechanism (GFCM), could provide developing countries the incentives necessary to undertake actions against deforestation.

Under the plans, the EU ETS would be a major source of funding for the GFCM, whereby 5% of auctioning revenues could provide up to €2.5 billion for the fund by 2020.

Governments that sign up to a global climate change deal could also be allowed to use so-called deforestation credits towards their individual CO2 reduction commitments under a pilot scheme.

Companies might then be allowed to use the system after 2020, subject to a review of the initial phase, the Commission said.

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Source: EurActiv