Feed aggregator

China has unveiled details of its first pilot carbon-trading program, which will begin next month in the southern city of Shenzhen.

 

The trading scheme will cover 638 companies responsible for 38% of the city’s total emissions, the Shenzhen branch of the powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced on Wednesday. The scheme will eventually expand to include transportation, manufacturing and construction companies.

 

Shenzhen is one of seven designated areas in which the central government plans to roll out experimental carbon trading programs before 2014.

 

Please click here to read the original news item.

With one indigenous language dying out every two weeks, with indigenous livelihoods under threat and with indigenous children being routinely excluded from school, the Africa Caucus of indigenous peoples has appealed to UN member states to take concrete steps to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.

 

In particular, the Africa Caucus used the 12th session of the UN’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) to urge countries around the world to promote more culturally sensitive education and better access to schooling for indigenous peoples – as well as safeguarding traditional knowledge rights.

 

One of the main threats to traditional livelihoods is the continued loss of land through dispossession by extractive industries, deforestation and conservation policies. The Caucus called for action to ensure that “indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and resources are respected and protected” as outlined in the UNDRIP.

 

The statement also highlighted the need for research into the diversity and importance of gender relations in indigenous communities – and for such research to draw on active community input.

 

Please click here to read the original news item.

The Centre for People and Forests (RECOFTC) recently organised an expert seminar on Gender, Forestry, Climate Change and REDD+ (Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) in Hanoi.

 

This activity is part of a project concerning capacity building for grassroots forestry stakeholders in order to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. On the sidelines of the seminar, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Nguyen Ba Ngai, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Forestry Administration (VNFOREST) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on this issue.

 

According to him this seminar is an opportunity for professionals to exchange and discuss policies, plans and programmes on the improvement of gender equality in forest management, REDD+ initiatives and climate change, while identifying problems, challenges and gaps in mainstreaming gender issues into forestry solutions on climate change mitigation and adaptation in Vietnam.

 

Please click here to read the original news item.

In order to be effective, the programme needs to be able to communicate effectively with a broad range of stakeholders both within and outside of the government and internationally. The same applies to other programmes developing REDD+ readiness in Cambodia supported by multinational and bilateral development partners, NGOs and others. Effective and efficient REDD+ readiness requires open communication of all information related to the process.  All of these initiatives are contributing to implementation of the Cambodian REDD+ readiness roadmap.

 

Therefore, in May 2013, a website of the Cambodia REDD+ National Programme was established and launched. With support from the UN-REDD Programme, the website was designed to incorporate key content and functions to ensure easy access to information on the REDD+ National Programme. It is an essential tool to help communicate progress on REDD+ readiness with stakeholders, inform them of events and upcoming developments, and to gain feedback on specific issues.  The website constitutes an important tool for the Royal Government of Cambodia in its efforts to get ready for REDD+.

 

Please click here to read the original news item.

ABC Radio Australia, 24 May 2013 | An illegal logger in Cambodia has dropped an address book during a bust, leaving behind details of corrupt government officials and spying rangers. An illegal logger in Cambodia has dropped an address book during a bust, leaving behind details of corrupt government officials and spying rangers. The man fled after being intercepted by police over an illegal haul of rare rosewood in Koh Kong province earlier this month. Beth Eisenstaedt from Wildlife Alliance helped coordinate the bust and has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia the perpetrator left behind an address book of his clients and an accounts book including details of bribes. "We were able to confiscate the wood, and we stumbled upon this treasure trove of names and pay off amounts of all the people he had been dealing with, including some government officials," she said.

This side event on government and private sector efforts to scale up to first-of-their-kind integrated jurisdictional REDD+ programs will be held at the Carbon Expo.

 

Jurisdictional REDD+ programs present a major opportunity for governments to dramatically increase the scope of forest conservation in a region, while simultaneously unlocking the economic power of carbon finance. This panel will discuss new examples of implementing integrated REDD+ programs with those who are on the front lines, featuring expert representatives from some of the private businesses, project developers and NGOs who helped develop the VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ Requirements. 

 

The panel will focus specifically on how leading national and subnational jurisdictions, as well as forward-thinking project developers and funds, are collaborating on the development of jurisdictional REDD+ programs. These efforts include applying the VCS Jurisdictional REDD+ (JNR) Framework as well as the CARE/CCBA REDD+ Social & Environmental Standards to quantify carbon benefits of innovative forest practices while ensuring safeguards are enforced and multiple benefits are delivered.

 

Date: Thursday, 30 May 2013

Time: 15:30 CET

Where: Side Event Room 8, Carbon Expo

Who: David Antonioli, Chief Executive Officer, Verified Carbon Standard Association

 Kevin Brennan, Portfolio Manager, Terra Global Capital

 Joanna Durbin, Director, Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance

 Ludovino Lopes, Ludovino Lopes Lawyers

 Mike Korchinsky, CodeREDD+

 

Comments or questions about the side event may be sent to Garrett Russo at grusso@v-c-s.org.

Lawyers for the Grassy Narrows First Nation have filed their appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada.

The appeal is concerning the recent Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision that the province has authority to issue logging permits on all public lands and forests in the province, including First Nations’ traditional lands.

“Grassy Narrows is determined to protect its treaty rights and to protect the integrity of our lands. (The lower court judge) made the right decision when she held the governments to the agreement they made with our people in 1873. We were gravely disappointed when the Court of Appeal disagreed. We hope that the Supreme Court of Canada will agree to hear our appeal and restore the trial judgment,” said Simon Fobister, the chief of Grassy Narrows.

Read more:
Grassy Narrows files Supreme Court appeal over logging rights (Kenora Daily Miner and News)

Related news: July DaSilva, a First Nations rights activist from Grassy Narrows has received the Michael Sattler Peace Prize from the German Mennonite Peace Committe this week to “honour the nonviolent resistance of the Grassy Narrows First Nation against the destruction of nature and for the preservation of their Indigenous culture.”  See: First Nations activist receives international peace prize 

ForestTalk.com - Your source for Canadian forestry news

Nova Scotia has released a report that summarizes what Nova Scotians said are the best ways to use the 1.5-million acres of Crown land in the province’s western region to ensure sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits for communities.

The report summarizes comments received at nine open-house consultations in March and April, at stakeholder meetings, and through online submissions.

“The responses we’ve heard confirm that Nova Scotians are passionate about land use,” said Natural Resources Minister Charlie Parker. “Overall, Nova Scotians have told us that they want to be involved in managing their land, that long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability is vital, and that they recognize different land uses need to be balanced.”

The report summarizes attendance and overall public response:

• about 676 people attended the public open houses
• 66 people (representing 57 stakeholder groups) attended stakeholder meetings
• 166 people submitted ideas online
• 44 separate submissions were received through other channels

The key themes from the submissions and stakeholder focus groups are drawn together in the summary report. The comments will help develop a sustainable plan for the land, which includes lands purchased from Bowater Mersey Ltd.

The report outlines the most prominent issues for stakeholders, including:

• tourism and recreation
• forestry
• vehicular access
• sustainability
• protection
• resource extraction
• continuing consultation and engagement processes

The final land and resource management plan for the western Crown land plan will include sustainable forestry management, as described in the province’s natural resources strategy, The Path We Share. It will also meet new policies and guidelines for better forest management.

The summary report is available at: http://novascotia.ca/natr/land/western-land .

ForestTalk.com - Your source for Canadian forestry news

Pyrescence and the ecology of forest fire-prone lands have influenced all species of flora and fauna that live near fire. In this "presence of fire" all plants, including trees, have biologically changed to exist and even thrive with flame and fire.

Serotiny of some seed plants evolved to use the heat of fire to trigger seed fall and is a major factor in tree regeneration where fire is common. Heated cones drop ripe seed, some that have been stored in canopy cones for decades. These seed are dispersed onto a cool but burnt seed bed where extra light, less plant competition and extra temporary nutrients provide for seedling regeneration.

• Serotiny and the Serotinous Cone

Image, Serotinous Cones of Jack Pine - Bill Cook, Michigan State University/Forestryimages.org

 

How to Manage and ID Fringetree or Old-man's-beard

The world’s largest international forestry convention ElmiaWood becomes wider than ever. The industry is gearing up for a real human and machine party when manufacturers and suppliers to showcase their new products and innovations in the forests south of Jönköping 5 to 8 Jun 2013. It’s still tough times in the forest industry, but the pressure and interest in the show is bigger than ever. We have never had such a big exhibition stand space in terms, says Torbjörn Johnsen from ElmiaWood.

In the forests south of Jönköping the leading manufacturers and suppliers are gathered to show their innovations. ElmiaWood is an extremely important exhibition, says Jörgen Ivarsson at Rottne Industri.

 Participation in the world’s largest forestry fair involves a lot of work and in Rottne we’re now working hard to finish the last details. . – It is important to be visible and show the market that despite the downturn, product development continues the improve . We will show our customers a new generation of COMFORT LINE. The new engine tier IIIB  is in place and the new extensions as well. -More than that I will not reveal, says Jörgen, but welcome all customers and interested parties to booth 808.

We also take the opportunity to meet and welcome our dealers from different parts of the world.

ElmiaWood has nearly 500 exhibitors and 50,000 visitors over 4 days and is held every four years.The fairground is located in Brattorp 30 kilometers south of Jönköping.
www.elmiawood.se

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Common Trees of the Eastern United States - The Tree Illustrations of Charles Sprague Sargent

Robinia pseudoacacia – One of the Most Common North American Trees

How to properly recognize and name common dormant tree species mainly in Eastern North America

Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Department is helping 18 villages in three districts to use the Forest Rights Act to exercise their control over tendu leaves.

By Thomas Hubert, CIFOR Forests News Blog, 22 May 2013 | As the world grapples with implementing a U.N.-backed scheme aimed at slowing forest loss and degradation (REDD+), new research from Cameroon shows that the complexity of the scheme demands expertise from a variety of players within and outside government. “The variety of aspects covered by REDD+ means the Ministry of Environment can no longer be expected to lead the way on its own,” says Denis Sonwa, scientist with the Center for International Forestry Research and co-author of REDD+ policy strategy in Cameroon: Actors, institutions and governance. “It is critical that the state reinvent itself as a learning organization that takes advantage of the expertise offered by other actors in global networks so that it can perform the required leadership and coordination role in designing a national REDD+ strategy.”

By Ana Madigibuli, Fiji Times, 23 May 2013 | Fiji is looking at ways it could improve its logging practices so less harm is done to its forests. This was highlighted during the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) plus strategy workshop in Suva last week. "The workshop is to largely develop the Fiji REDD plus strategy which started in 2011," said Christina Fung, the German Technical Co-operation landuse planning and facilitation specialist, during the REDD plus stakeholders workshop in Lami last week. REDD is a concept that links financial incentives to forest conservation, sustainable management, and enhancing and increasing carbon stocks for credits for carbon emissions avoided and or carbon sequestered.

Unconfirmed reports that China is preparing to cap its greenhouse gas output has raised hopes among observers worldwide that the planet’s biggest emitter will act to break a stalemate in global climate negotiations, despite widespread caution that any limit Beijing sets will be too high to prevent damaging warming.

 

Please click here to read the original news item.

Many of the trees planted under the government’s reforestation programme are dying because there is insufficient funding to maintain them.

 

The Forestry Department has observed that of the trees planted by people and the government, about 65-70 percent have survived, department Deputy Director General, Mr Thong Eth Phayvanh, told Vientiane Times yesterday.

 

In contrast, commercial tree growers are seeing survival rates of between 80-100 percent as their budget covers post-plantation support, according to the department.

 

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is planning with various government departments and companies to introduce different species of native trees to about 30,000 hectares of land, Mr Thong Eth said. However, he believes they will achieve only 30-40 percent of this target because some provinces have limited space available due to land allocation issues.

 

Please click here to read the original news item.