US states sign tropical forest pledge

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The states of California, Illinois, and Wisconsin and six states in Brazil and Indonesia agreed today to work together on new programmes for protecting and restoring tropical forests as an essential but so far untapped strategy to combat climate change.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with the governors of Illinois and Wisconcin,and the governors or emissaries of Amazonas, Pará, Mato Grosso and Amapá states in Brazil and Papua and Aceh provinces in Indonesia, represents a big leap forward for the concept of carbon emitters in industrialised societies paying for the service provided by tropical forests in absorbing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

While much climate change debate focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy production and fossil fuels such as coal and oil, the burning and clearing of tropical forests causes about 20 per cent of total CO2 emissions – more than all the world’s cars, trucks and airplanes combined.

Tropical forests also are home to more than half of all species on Earth, and provide essential resources and services for people including fresh water, food, medicines, pollination, soil regeneration and many others. However, burning and clearing of tropical forests - driven mostly by demand in industrialised nations for timber, palm oil, beef and other commodities - destroys an area the size of England every year. Scientists warn that failure to halt deforestation means global temperatures will rise to dangerous levels no matter what other steps are taken to combat climate change.

“When a tropical forest is destroyed, it hurts everyone, no matter where they live,” said Peter Seligmann, the chairman and CEO of Conservation International (CI). “The memorandum between California and these Brazilian and Indonesian states and provinces containing some of the world’s last remaining intact tropical forests is a welcome and necessary step. California’s leadership in this area will help stabilise the Earth’s climate by providing effective incentives to conserve these threatened tropical ecosystems that are so critical for supporting the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities and indigenous peoples”.

The agreement followis the Governors’ Global Climate Summit convened from November 18-19. The summit included governors from other US states as well as states or provinces from around the world, including Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the European Union and other nations.

More: http://www.peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=3433