International Conference «Role of Forests in Climate Management: Research – Innovations – Investments – Capacity Building»
The International Conference "Role of Forests in Climate Management: Research - Innovations - Investments - Capacity Building" will take place on October 4-7, 2008 in Saint-Petersburg, Russia
To enhance the role of the forest sector under national and international climate change prevention and adaptation programs through innovative financial mechanisms and investment partnerships.
Objectives:
Systematize the latest research results pertaining to the multifaceted contribution of forests into climate stabilization, including its non-carbon aspects;
Promote traditional and innovative technologies of forest management and forest use to maximize climate stabilization benefits of forests (including a needs assessment for long-term investments and human resource capacity building);
Mobilize intellectual, financial, and institutional resources through public-private partnerships for training and implementation of ‘win-win’ forest–climate projects and programs aimed at enhancing climate-regulating functions of forests;
Develop methodological and practical recommendations on priority aspects of international cooperation in the area of forest and climate, including those to be used under respective international negotiation processes and investment projects and programs.
Key Issues for Discussion
Reforestation, afforestation and forest management as major tools for climate stabilization;
Innovations in forest management and forest use aimed at climate stabilization;
Account of greenhouse gas emissions and sinks and other climate regulating effects of forest and wetland ecosystems under international climate investment projects;
Investment mechanisms in the forest sector to prevent climate change and adapt to it: development, implementation and audit of international climate projects;
Generation of benefits from the climatic capacity of forests through the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms and promising tools of the new international legal framework for climate change mitigation after 2012;
Forest assessment and adaptation of forest ecosystems to global climate change (control of forest die-back, wildfires, permafrost degradation, emergence of infestation zones upon pest outbreaks);
Human capacity development priorities in the forest sector to ensure effective adaptation to climate change.
Key Speakers from
Federal Forestry Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ministry of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation;
World Bank;
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO);
World Meteorological Organization (WMO);
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC);
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
Respective ministries and agencies of European, Asian, and American countries;
Research and education institutions;
Organizations involved in the development, audit, and evaluation of climate projects as well as investment into such projects;
Lead timber industry companies and associations, investment funds and banks;
Lead nongovernmental organizations.
Expected Outputs (Key Documents to Be Adopted)
Declaration on Innovative Financial Mechanisms and Investment Partnerships to Enhance Climate Regulating Benefits from Forests and the Forest Sector
Practical Recommendations on Priority Aspects of R&D, Technological and Institutional Development of the Forest Sector Aimed at Enhancing its Climate Regulating Benefits
Organizers
Federal Forestry Agency of Russia;
World Bank;
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO);
International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO);
World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Co-Organizers
Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation
Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation;
Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation;
Ministry of Industry and Energy of the Russian Federation;
Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation;
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of Natural Environment of Russia;
RussianAcademy of Sciences;
LomonosovMoscowStateUniversity.
Target Audiences
Federal and regional public authorities of the Russian Federation;
Respective ministries and agencies of other countries;
Forest management organizations and timber industries;
Russian and foreign research, consulting and education organizations dealing with forests and climate;
Developing organizations, determinators and validators of climatic projects;
Climatic project investors (Russian and foreign investment companies and banks);
Russian and foreign environmental NGOs;
Russian and foreign mass media.
Declared Geographical Coverage
International level (Russian Federation, CIS countries and Baltic states, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, other interested countries.
Systematization of the latest R&D results related to comprehensive assessment and monitoring of forest and forest wetland ecosystems’ contribution into climate stabilization, including its non-carbon aspects
Panel 2: Innovation and Technology
Employment of traditional and innovative technologies of forest management and forest use for purposes of climate stabilization and adaptation to climate change
Panel 3: Investment
Attraction of investment into climate projects, including reforestation, afforestation, forest management, and increased efficiency of wood utilization.
Poster Session
As scheduled
Plenary Sessions
As scheduled
Wrap-up Plenary Session: Prospective Contribution of the Forest Sector into International and National Climate Stabilization Programs
Presentations by key speakers (including those from the World Bank, FAO, IBFRA, IUFRO, Federal Forestry Agency), and reports of the Panel Sessions results;
Adoption of a Declaration on Innovative Financial Mechanisms and Investment Partnerships to Enhance Climate Regulating Benefits from Forests and the Forest Sector;
Adoption of Practical Recommendations on Priority Aspects of R&D, Technological and Institutional Development of the Forest Sector Aimed at Enhancing its Climate Regulating Benefits
