World's youth deliver survival plea to UN climate talks: halt deforestation and industrial logging of primary forests

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release
9 June 2009

Bonn, Germany - A coalition of youth, environmental groups, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples organizations and women's groups delivered a plea to negotiators asking them to ensure a strong climate deal and warning them that they will put our survival at risk if they do not act immediately to halt deforestation and the industrial logging of the world's primary forests (forest degradation).

"Survival is not negotiable. The climate deal signed in Copenhagen needs to ensure the survival of all countries and people. The immediate protection of the world's forests is no longer just an option, it is essential to ensure a safe climate for us and our kids." said the Wilderness Society campainger and youth spokesperson Gemma Tillack.

The plea asks negotiators to ensure that any climate deal:

• Immediately ends deforestation, industrial scale logging in primary forests and the conversion of forests to monoculture tree crops, plantations;
• Protects the world's biodiverse forests including primary forests in developed countries (e.g. Australia, Canada and Russia) and tropical forests in developing countries;
  
• Respects the rights of women, Indigenous peoples and local communities and allow them to lead healthy and sustainable lives whilst stopping deforestation and industrial logging of primary forests in their country, and;
• Does not allow developed countries to use forest protection and the avoiding deforestation and industrial scale logging of primary forests in other countries as an offset mechanism for their own emissions.

Ms Tillack presented the following statement at a press conference in Bonn on Monday 8th June.

"World leaders and negotiators of the climate deal, our survival is in your hands. We trust that you will take immediate action to stop deforestation, and industrial logging of the world's biodiverse forests. We are depending on you to protect our forests and provide us with a healthy, ecologically sustainable, low carbon future."

Read more

• Youth unite at UN climate deal to ensure survival of all peoples and countries >>
• The Wilderness Society works to secure a strong climate deal  >>