Day 11: Highlights from Poznan - Door left open for forest protection in Copenhagen

With so many proposals flying around for perverse outcomes in the climate change negotiations, The Wilderness Society delegation has succeeded in making sure that the protection of forests as carbon banks is still on the table for Copenhagen. The forest live to fight another day.

In Poznan, The Wilderness Society delegation will be urging world leaders to take strong action to reduce logging and land clearing - as part of the global plan to tackle climate change.

We have also ensured that disastrous outcomes for the world's forests, such as mass conversion of forest to plantations, receiving credits for harvested wood products and further incentives for logging have not progressed at Poznan - despite a strong campaign from the logging industry and their supporters.

Overall, yesterday's meeting with Climate Change Minister Penny Wong went ok - with the door open to further negotiations to advance Australia's position on the role forest protection should play in a global climate agreement.

When we arrived in Bali a year ago for the start of these talks, forest protection and the role of the world’s forests in reducing climate change was barely on the table. Now its one of the key issues in negotiating a global agreement.

More and more, governments and their departments, the private sector and our conservation colleagues are becoming aware that we have no chance of staying below a 2 degree global temperature rise unless we significantly increase forest protection, and improve forest management world-wide.

This would not have been possible without finding some fantastic allies in Poznan.
Environmental groups from around the globe including Global Witness, The Rainforest Foundation, the Environmental Investigation Agency and others have played a critical role.

The stand out performance for the conference however should go to the International Youth Delegation - who through all the procrastination by government's did everything it could to get world leaders focused on real outcomes from Poznan. Gemma Tillack represented The Wilderness Society in the youth forum.

They conducted some great actions and made an inspirational speech to the conference, reminding us all that today's youth will inherit the legacy of the Copenhagen agreement to be signed in December next year - and its resulting impact on the survival of our planet.

  
Check out our regular 'Postcards from Poznan' for updates and progress on the climate change negotiations.

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