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The international community should enable rainforest countries to halve deforestation by 2020 and make the global forest sector ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030, according to an independent report issued to the British Prime Minister today.

The Eliasch Review, ‘Climate Change: Financing Global Forests’, is an independent report commissioned by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and led by Johan Eliasch, Special Representative on Deforestation. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the financing and mechanisms needed to support sustainable management of forests and reduce emissions associated with deforestation.

Indonesia, which is home to virtually all of the remaining wild populations of orangutans, suffers one of the worst deforestation rates in the world. It is estimated that a rainforest area the size of 300 soccer field is cut down every hour, and Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda embraced the report.

“As the world acknowledged last year in Bali, we cannot win the battle against climate change unless tropical forests are fully integrated within a post-2012 agreement,” Wirajuda said. “The necessary methodologies and technologies exist. What remains is capacity building and the mobilization of the necessary international resources. We look forward to working with the Government of the United Kingdom on the important issues of tropical forestry and climate change.”

The Review finds that:

• The international community should aim to support forest nations to halve deforestation by 2020 and make the global forest sector ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030 – i.e. with emissions from forest loss balanced by new forest growth.

• Reducing emissions from deforestation should be fully included in any post-2012 global climate deal at Copenhagen.

• National Governments should develop their own strategies to combat deforestation in forest countries, including establishing baselines, targets and effective governance and distribution of finances.

• In the long term, the forest sector should be included in global carbon markets.

• Public and private sector funding will be needed in the short to medium term as carbon markets grow.

• The international community should provide support for capacity building where necessary. Total capacity building costs are estimated at up to $4 billion over 5 years for 40 forest nations.

To view the full report, please visit www.occ.gov.uk.

(Source: U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change / OC staff)