News
Global carbon emissions rise 49 percent since 1990
4 Dec 2011
Total carbon emissions for the first time hit 10 billion tonnes (36.7 billion tonnes of CO2) in 2010, according to new analysis published by the Global Carbon Project (GCP) in Nature Climate Change. In the past two decades (since the reference year for the Kyoto Protocol: 1990), emissions have risen an astounding 49 percent. Released as officials from 190 countries meet in Durban, South Africa for the 17th UN Summit on Climate Change to discuss the future of international efforts on climate...
Forest degradation decimating Africa’s wildlife – REDD needs to move quickly, says leading conservationist
4 Dec 2011
DURBAN, South Africa (4 December, 2011)_The degradation of Africa’s forests are decimating its wildlife, said Helen Gichohi, President of the African Wildlife Foundation, and she called for REDD+ funding to move more quickly to save the continent’s forest. “Deforestation rates in Africa are already four times the world average and are accelerating,” Gichohi said in [...]
Global map of REDD+ projects released
3 Dec 2011
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) on Saturday released a comprehensive map of the world's REDD+ programs. The map includes 340 REDD+ projects, programs, and policies in 52 countries.
New research agenda for Africa’s dry forests defined at Durban
3 Dec 2011
DURBAN, South Africa (3 December, 2011)_The dry forest and woodlands of Africa cover 54% of the continent and support some 64% of its population through the provision of a wide range of environmental goods and services. These multifunctional and dynamic landscapes are not just rich in biodiversity. Research has shown that they are inextricably linked [...]
Deforestation and forest degradation down in the Brazilian Amazon since August
2 Dec 2011
Deforestation and forest degradation are down moderately from August through October 2011 relative to the same period a year ago, reports a satellite-based assessment released today by Imazon, a Brazilian group.
COP-17: Bolivia’s forest proposal gets little attention
2 Dec 2011
BOLIVIA has tabled a new proposal on forest conservation, but has so far been disappointed by the lack of attention from other negotiators, it said yesterday at the United Nations (UN) climate- change talks in Durban.
Bolivia’s chief negotiator, Rene Orellana, said his country was worried about proposals to use private sector markets to fund forest conservation, as this did not take account of the multiple functions forests provide. These include livelihoods for local communities, as...
Carbon debt for some biofuels lasts centuries
30 Nov 2011
It has long been known that biofuels release greenhouse gas emissions through land conversion like deforestation. But an innovative new study by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) published in Ecology and Society has computed how long it would take popular biofuel crops to payoff the "carbon debt" of land conversion. While there is no easy answer—it depends on the type of land converted and the productivity of the crop—the study did find that in general soy had...
Global forest cover lower than previously estimated, says UN
30 Nov 2011
Global forest cover, as well as forest loss, is lower than previously estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to a new satellite-based assessment that replaces the self-reporting system previously used by the U.N. agency.
UNEP Announces Watersheds Project in Kenyan Forest
30 Nov 2011
The EU-funded project, implemented by the Kenyan Government and UNEP, aims to create a sustainable basis for the Mau Forests long-term conservation and management. Ecosystem services provided by the Mau Forest include river flow regulation, flood mitigation, water storage, reduced soil erosion and biodiversity loss, carbon sequestration and storage, and microclimate regulation.
Indonesia optimistic to surpass one billion tree target
30 Nov 2011
All regions in Indonesia simultaneously planted thousands of trees to mark Indonesian Tree Planting Day and National Planting Month led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Merah Putih Hill, Sentul, Citeureup, Bogor, West Java Province, on Monday (Nov 28).
Indonesia has set a target of planting one billion trees under a program called “One Billion Indonesian Trees for The World” (OBIT ) being implemented to help reduce greenhouse gases. Globally, more than 12 billion...