News
Biofuels may meet development needs of subSaharan Africa
3 Oct 2011
BOGOR, Indonesia (3 October, 2011)_Biofuel expansion has enormous potential to stimulate rural development in subSaharan Africa, but ensuring local community benefits and adequate protections for food production and forests will require strategic policy interventions and close collaboration among stakeholders, according to a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research. “Africa has a huge [...]
Australia Strengthens Commitment to REDD+ Efforts in Indonesia
2 Oct 2011
Source: The Australian -- Australia remains deeply committed to helping Indonesia prepare for the emergence of a regional or global carbon trading scheme. It has established the Kalimantan Forest Climate Project, located in the Kuala Kapuas district in Central Kalimantan, to demonstrate trees can become more valuable alive than dead.
Tea party versus Madagascar's forests
2 Oct 2011
The Tea Party and the African island-nation of Madagascar are having dueling concerts over the issue of illegal logging, reports the Associated Press. A concert in Madagascar over the weekend was meant to highlight the problem of illegal deforestation in one of the world's poorest countries. Meanwhile the Tea Party is holding a rally and concert on October 8th to support Gibson Guitar, which is currently under investigation for breaking US law by allegedly purchasing illegally logged wood...
UNFCCC Newsletter Highlights Launch of New Module on Fast-Start Finance
30 Sep 2011
The September edition of the UNFCCC newsletter highlights progress made in the design of the Green Climate Fund, as well as the launch of a new module on Fast-start Finance by the Finance Portal for Climate Change.
Brazilian State Aims to Restore Ecosystems on Agricultural Lands
30 Sep 2011
Brazil's Cerrado is the most biologically rich savanna grassland in the world. It's also a critical region for the country's agricultural production. (© CI/photo by Olaf Zerbock)
Brazil’s Forest Code has been a controversial discussion topic lately; revision of this law could clear the way for massive destruction of the country’s remaining forests.
Yet in the face of these threats, there have also been local victories. The municipality of Luis Eduardo Magalhaes in Bahia state, for...
No demand for int’l offsets in California until 2015: expert
29 Sep 2011
Demand for international offsets in California’s cap-and-trade system is unlikely to emerge until the latter half of the decade since state regulators are likely to focus on credits from local projects at the start of the program, an expert said Wednesday.
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Vietnam: PM takes drastic action on tree thieves
29 Sep 2011
The growing problem of illegal deforestation in Viet Nam has led to a swift response from the Government in order to prevent it from spiralling out of control. In a directive issued on Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung laid out drastic measures to clamp down on the issue. Among them, he requested local authorities to prioritise forest protection activities.
Under the directive, People’s Committees in provinces and cities would have to report up-to-date figures on the areas of...
U.S. & RI announce $28.5 million debt swap to protect Borneo’s forests
29 Sep 2011
The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joined with the Indonesian and U.S. Governments yesterday to sign a debt-for-nature swap agreement that will result in a new $28.5 million investment to help protect tropical forests in three districts of Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.
The deal will create models for forest conservation and sustainable economic development in Borneo, the third-largest island in the world, home to unique species such as orangutans, gibbons, clouded...
Indonesian companies seek guidelines to engage in REDD+
29 Sep 2011
JAKARTA, Indonesia (29 September, 2011)_Indonesian business leaders have urged the government to clarify guidelines for private sector involvement in REDD+, signaling their readiness to engage in the climate change initiative to protect the nation’s forests and cut carbon emissions. Speaking at the Forests Indonesia Conference on Tuesday, which drew nearly 1,000 participants from government, civil [...]
Indonesia Could Be Paid for Conserving Organutan Forests
29 Sep 2011
Known as REDD+, the mechanism would provide payments for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus additional forest "activities," with the aim of halving deforestation by 2020. The UNEP report estimates that many of the coastal, ...See all stories on this topic »Environment News Service