The Katoomba Group: A Forest Trends' Initiative

The Katoomba Group is an international working group composed of leading experts from forest and energy industries, research institutions, the financial world, and environmental NGOs, all dedicated to facilitating strategic partnerships that can launch green forest products in the market place. To accomplish this, the Katoomba Group must build collective understanding of how market-based instruments for environmental services are constructed and the conditions in which they can work. The group met for the first time in Katoomba, Australia in May 2000 and subsequent meetings were held on Vancouver Island, British Columbia in October 2000 and in TeresÛpolis, Brazil in March 2001.

The Katoomba Group, which resulted from this exceptional event, has continued to meet, discuss and work toward its unique vision. Subsequent gatherings have taken place on Victoria Island, British Columbia, in October 2000, in Teresópolis, Brazil, in March 2001, in London, England, in October 2001, in Tokyo, Japan, in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, in October of 2003, and will be hosting a seventh meeting in Bangkok, Thailand in November of 2004.

Forest Trends serves as the secretariat for this group and coordinates inter-sessional work. For further information, please visit the independent Katoomba Group website.

For details on the Katoomba Group's activities in Africa, click here.