Forests and Climate Change: A Convenient Truth? Conference presentations

The conference speakers’ presentation are available as written notes, Powerpoint presentations, or as video.
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Introduction

Phil Woolas MP, Minister for the Environment.
Phil Woolas' Ministerial responsibilities cover climate change, energy, and sustainable development. Phil was most recently the Minister for Local Government at the Department for Communities and Local Government. Previously, he was Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, and has held roles including Government Whip and Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Before entering Parliament, he was Head of Communications at the GMB trade union and a television producer for the BBC and ITN.

Notes on Phil Woolas' opening address

Forests and climate change - The big picture

Tim Rollinson, Director General, Forestry Commission.

Summary: Forests are vital to the health of our planet. They play a crucial role in regulating the world’s climate. How can they help tackle climate change? What are the challenges and opportunities? Tim takes a global overview of the role of forests in addressing climate change and explains what we can do in the UK.

Low bandwidth version (23MB | WMV)

Zipped download (108MB | MPG)

Forests and Climate Change booklet (447kb | PDF)

Practical ways to tackle climate change?

Sustainable management

Stewart Maginnis, Head of Forest Conservation Programme, IUCN.
Stewart has 22 years’ experience in forest management & conservation, largely in field & policy work in Africa & Central America. He has worked closely with the Forestry Commission for the past four years to build international network of forest agencies, companies and managers on forest restoration at a landscape level.

Summary: What does climate change mean for multi-purpose forestry? How should we manage forests and woodlands for carbon storage and sequestration? Stewart draws on his wide experience to look at the need for international action and why the UK has a key role in acting as a demonstrator of good practice.

Stewart Maginnis' presentation (4.25MB | Powerpoint)

Wood for fuel

Dr Keith Richards, Managing Director, TVEnergy.
Keith has sought to mainstream renewable energy for over 25 years. He has worked on national and international programmes of research and development. Latterly, he has dedicated himself to working with local communities in the South East of England to create local projects for local people.

Summary: What are the opportunities for wood as a form of renewable energy? What is the potential for biomass as a sustainable low carbon substitute for fossil fuels? Keith shows how state-of-the-art technology enables wood fuel to provide an efficient and low cost option for heat and power at domestic and industrial levels.

Dr Keith Richards' presentation (18.5MB | Powerpoint)

Wood - A 21st century material?

Craig White, Director of White Design.
Craig is Chair of Wood for Gold, a campaign to promote the use of wood for the 2012 Olympics, and Director of White Design. His company specialises in the design of low carbon and low environmental impact buildings. White Design was Winner of the 2007 Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award for the design of the Forestry Commission’s Dalby Forest Visitor Centre in Yorkshire.

Summary: What new markets can be met through the use of wood? What strategies and policies are needed to maximise this potential? Wood is a truly sustainable and versatile material. Craig examines the potential for wood to meet wide-ranging uses that substitute for more carbon-intensive materials.

Craig White's presentation (6.9MB | Powerpoint)

Adapting to climate change

Adapting for change

Dr Mark Broadmeadow, Climate Change Programme Manager, Forestry Commission.
Mark is Head of the Climate Change Programme for Forestry Commission England. He is an acknowledged expert in forestry and climate change and, before his current post, worked for over 15 years in the Commission’s Forest Research agency.

Summary: What will the effects of climate change be on forests and woodlands? What kinds of forests and woodlands will we need in the future? Mark looks at what this means for the forest and woodland manager, the industry, the conservationist, and others.

Mark Broadmeadow's presentation (33.3MB | Powerpoint)

Planning for change

Professor John Handley.
John is a Professor of Land Restoration and Management at the University of Manchester. He has been actively researching climate change adaptation, including the role of forests and woodlands, and will talk about the results of this work.

Summary: What are the future roles of woodlands as we plan for a warmer climate? John uses examples in urban and rural settings to show how woodlands, as part of an integrated approach to land-use planning, can provide solutions to the pressures that will be placed on our urban and rural infrastructure.

John Handley's presentation (3MB | Powerpoint)

Adapting our behaviour

Professor Paul Ekins.
Paul is Head of the Environment Group at the Policy Studies Institute and Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Westminster. In January 2008, Paul will become Professor of Energy and Environment Policy at King's College London. He is also a Co-Director of the UK Energy Research Centre and a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.

Summary: What changes to our attitudes and behaviour are required in order to achieve a low carbon economy? How can we make these changes? Paul explains how changes in society and the economy are key to effective strategies to tackle climate change.

Paul Ekins' presentation (0.4MB | Powerpoint)

What did the audience think?

We asked our audience to vote on some key issues. The results are available here.

Audience results presentation (5.9MB | Powerpoint)