RSPO should ban deforestation, say investors representing $6.7t in assets
13/8/2018: More than 90 institutional investors managing more than $6.7 trillion in assets have called on the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil to strengthen its standards, including by banning deforestation. Source: Mongabay
Tread Softly Comment: The letter to the RSPO from major asset management companies (including CalPERS and M&G Prudential) is an extraordinary document. Instead of the usual scenario of corporations fighting tooth and nail against higher environmental standards, here they are begging the certification body for much tougher conditions for palm oil plantations. This is the outcome of years of concern that the RSPO fails to keep pace with the escalating impact of the subject of its certification. Relevant Briefing: Consumer Solutions to Deforestation
Rampant timber smuggling in Myanmar as forest service restructures
30/7/2018: As Myanmar works to restructure to private sector management of the country’s forestry and timber resources, reports of illegal logging are surging. Source: Mongabay
Tread Softly Comment: An example of how difficult it is for a fragile state to get a grip on its natural resources. Broadly good intentions of central government stumble over its lack of authority over corrupt national and local officials, not helped by China's unprincipled scramble for rare commodities. Relevant Briefing: Causes of Deforestation
Deforestation skyrockets in the Amazon rainforest
25/7/2018: Data from a Brazilian forest monitoring group suggests deforestation is surging in the world’s largest rainforest, with last month’s rate of forest loss in the Amazon hitting the highest level since monthly tracking began in 2007. Source: Mongabay
Tread Softly Comment: It's only a few weeks since Norway threatened to pull out of its exceptionally generous support for Brazil's Amazon fund, out of concerns that objectives to protect the rainforest are failing. Although this new data is only one of several relevant sources, the timing will reinforce evidence that environmental political will in Brazil has lapsed. Relevant briefing: Market-based solutions to deforestation
Forests and trees are key for a sustainable future
6/7/2018: Time is running out for the world's forests, whose total area is shrinking by the day, warns a new FAO report urging governments to foster an all-inclusive approach to benefit both trees and those who rely on them. Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
Tread Softly Comment: The elephant in the room for the current bulge in forest reporting is Target 15.2 of the SDGs which demands: "By 2020.....halt deforestation." The indicators are fuzzy, ignoring the significance of tropical forests, and enabling these reviews to gloss over the looming failure. The 2018 FAO door-stopper is the grand-daddy of the reports but is no exception to the rule of obfuscation on the state of the world's tropical forests. Relevant Briefing: Deforestation and Forest Degradation
Why Congo’s decision to open national parks to drilling isn’t really about oil
13/7/2018: The news that the DRC will allow oil drilling in two national parks, both UNESCO world heritage sites, was understandably met with great concern among environmentalists. Why is the Congolese government doing this? Source: African Arguments
Tread Softly Comment: Most of us despair at understanding DRC politics. Even the UN Secretary-General found himself cancelling a visit at the last moment during the week. This analysis is therefore doubly reassuring in its confident tone from the inside track. Many telling observations on corrupt governance, not least that DRC oil concessions are held mostly by small companies, the sort that slip under the radar of anti-bribery regulations. A useful cross-reference is a recent WWF report which finds that oil and gas concessions cover 8% of the world's tropical intact forest landscapes. Relevant Briefing: Causes of Deforestation
Q&A: Why conservation must include indigenous rights
6/7/2018: Indigenous peoples and local communities conserve lands and forests for a quarter of the cost of public and private investments in protected areas, according to new findings. Interview with Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. Source: Devex
Tread Softly Comment: the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People presents familiar arguments in favour of community forest management. This is a proven model for controlling deforestation which may gain greater donor attention, as results of traditional protected areas remain disappointing. Relevant Briefing: Rights-based Solutions to Deforestation
Saving the rainforest 2.0: new report makes recommendations for improving forest protection
2/7/2018: Over the past decade, Norway has spent $3 billion to support efforts to keep forests standing in all of the world’s major rainforest countries. A report from Oslo takes stock of what’s worked and what hasn’t. Source: Mongabay
Tread Softly Comment: Alarm bells are ringing in Norwegian political circles as evidence mounts that the rate of global deforestation is not falling as hoped. This is one of a series of reports posing awkward questions for the world's most prominent forests donor. Relevant Briefing: Causes of Deforestation
How Ethiopia and Eritrea can forge a new relationship