Topic: forests

WRI and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development today released an updated online guide to help corporate buyers ensure the sustainability of their wood- and paper-based products.

Reliable, long-term funding from the U.S. and other developed countries could help maintain forests and mitigate climate change.

This report looks beyond quantifying emissions reductions at a more flexible approach for recognizing mitigation actions being taken by developing countries in the forest sector. This approach ensures that countries with high historical emissions are not necessarily favored for support, and it allows for a broader set of MRV criteria to capture country’s efforts to change the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.

Forests are one of three major approaches for reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere (the other two are energy efficiency and low-carbon energy sources).

WRI, NewPage Launch Partnership to Protect Indonesian Forests

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and NewPage Corporation today announce a partnership to protect forests in Indonesia. NewPage will substantially fund WRI’s “Project POTICO” (Palm Oil, Timber, Carbon Offsets), an initiative to combat illegal logging and preserve virgin rainforests in Indonesia by diverting new oil palm plantations to degraded lands.

The first step for developing countries to access financing under the Readiness Mechanism of the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is the development of a Readiness Plan Idea Note (R-PIN). This paper considers the extent to which R-PINs approved by the FCPF trust fund committee addressed questions of good governance of forests. The objective of this exercise is to identify issues that will need to be addressed more completely as countries proceed with readiness programs.

Environmental Stories to Watch in 2009

Environmental Stories to Watch is WRI’s annual survey of emerging issues that could have major impacts on environmental coverage. At the Newseum, WRI President Jonathan Lash unveiled what he predicts will be the four “Stories to Watch” in 2009.

This publication is a transcript of Jonathan Lash’s annual Environmental Stories to Watch address, which he gave on December 17th, 2008 at the Newseum. For the past six years, WRI has invited members of the press to join in a conversation about what we think will be the environmental stories to watch in the coming year.

The World Resources Institute and the Environmental Investigation Agency today launch a partnership to combat illegal logging worldwide and clean up timber supply chains.

EPA Partners With WRI to Heighten Awareness of Ecosystem Services

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a collaboration to deliver improved science and practical tools to help companies and governments protect ecosystems and address climate change.