Forests and Climate Change: A Convenient Truth?

Phil Woolas, MP, Minister for the Environment - Opening address

Phil Woolas firmly backed the role of forestry in tackling climate change, adding that it is moving up the policy agenda. Presidents and Prime ministers are turning to forestry. He also announced that the Forestry Commission is applauded around the world for its expertise in sustainable forest management and that it has much to offer as a leader in developing ways to tackle climate change.

The Minister stated that the scientific debate as to whether climate change is taking place is over. The 4th report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change would reassure any sceptic of this position. Economics and policy are now key to progress, and the UK is in a strong position to exert a global influence. The UK Climate Change Bill, introduced to Parliament the week before, will place binding targets on reducing emissions in the UK and is a world first.

Solving the problems of climate change will rest heavily on reducing deforestation, the world's second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. He emphasised the importance of developing financial incentives, both to prevent deforestation and to encourage reforestation and afforestation, and is keen to see the inclusion of forestry in carbon markets. An important step will be to include forestry in negotiations on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) post-2012. Following a recent meeting in advance of the conference on the UNFCCC due to take place in Bali in December, he expected that the US, Brazil and China would agree to include forestry in the negotiations.

In response to questions, he stressed again the need to tackle deforestation. Important means of doing this include using the financial resources of the World Bank and developing markets in carbon. Woodfuel has an important role as long as its use is sustainable and proper standards are applied. Applying standards to the use of biofuels is particularly important, given concerns over ‘knock-on’ effects on forests. There is also much potential to use wood in place of other materials using an internationally certified standard – the 2012 Olympics offers a significant opportunity.