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Sixth Tone: How Illegally Harvested Timber Is ‘Greenwashed’ in China
Even when Europeans buy certified sustainable wood, the environment pays the price.
More than 200 Governments, Business, Bankers, and NGOs Join Call to Action for Biodiversity “Net Gain”
November 26, 2018 │ Over 200 individuals from conservation organisations, governments, companies and financial institutions have joined in a “Call to Action” for greater efforts to secure “Biodiversity Net Gain” in the context of development. The call to action was issued during Natural Capital Week, where the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP) […]
Mongabay: Vietnam-EU legal timber agreement signed, but much work remains
The European Union has signed an agreement to support Vietnam’s forest governance improvement goals, aimed at ensuring that the timber it imports from the Southeast Asian country is legally sourced. The Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) was signed Oct. 19 in Brussels by Federica Mogherini, the EU high representative for […]
At Peru’s Inaugural National Water Summit, Dozens of Utilities Endorse Piuray Declaration on Natural Infrastructure
Piuray (Cusco) │ At Peru’s first National Water Summit, senior executives and general managers of 23 water utilities, representing 14 regions of Peru, signed the Piuray Declaration on November 9th, ratifying their commitment to protect the country’s source water areas and the natural environments that sustain them. The Piuray Declaration contains seven specific commitments to […]
Cross-Sector Consortium Launches a New Portfolio of Biodiversity Solutions for Business and Government
November 14, 2018 │ In the wake of a major new report from WWF and ZSL (Zoological Society of London) showing dramatic declines in biodiversity over the last fifty years, over 100 members of the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Programme (BBOP) are meeting in Paris this month to launch a […]
Global Witness: Clamping Down on Vietnam’s Illegal Timber Trade: EU Trade Agreements Should Signal a New Era
Vietnam is a major wood processor – hoovering up timber from rainforest-rich countries in Africa and beyond. Its trade with the EU now stands to see an major boost, following the recently concluded Free Trade Agreement and so-called Voluntary Partnership Agreement. This lift to international trade demands action from Vietnam, to prevent it from becoming […]
Mongabay: The Ongoing Trade in Conflict Timber (Commentary)
Last year, the 28 Member States of the European Union imported €260 million-worth (about $296 million-worth) of timber from countries that the World Bank considers to be fragile and conflict-affected, according to those countries’ own statistics. That’s an increase of almost 20 percent in reported trade since 2014. While there is no doubt that countries […]
Forest Trends and GoSol.solar Announce New Partnership Connecting Indigenous Communities with Solar Technologies
Forest Trends has announced a new partnership with GoSol.solar in the Brazilian Amazon to empower indigenous people with sustainable solar technology. GoSol.solar is an initiative of Solar Fire Concentration Ltd (SFCO), an impact-focused enterprise based in Tampere, Finland. GoSol.solar’s goal is to eradicate energy poverty, empower small and medium-sized enterprises with solar thermal, and minimize the […]
Nature Communications: Global state and potential scope of investments in watershed services for large cities
Investments in watershed services (IWS) programs, in which downstream water users pay upstream watershed service suppliers for actions that protect drinking water, are increasing in number and scope. IWS programs represent over $170 million of investment in over 4.3 million ha of watersheds, providing water to over 230 million people. It is not yet fully […]
Forest Trends Signs a New MOU with Vietnamese Timber and Rubber Industry Associations to Facilitate Research, Customs Data Sharing and Analysis, and Policy Advocacy
On September 28th, 2018 Forest Trends signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association (VIFORES), the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA), the Forest Products Association of Binh Dinh, the Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA), and the Vietnam Rubber Association. Members of these […]
