Brussels, 05/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - In unanimous conclusions, the Environment Council said on 4 December that the fight against deforestation and forest degradation, which contributes to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, are essential elements for combating global warming and the loss of biodiversity. Ministers welcomed the Commission's strategy proposing a target to be reached as part of international talks on climate to curb the decline in the planet's forest coverage by 2030 at the latest and to reduce tropical deforestation by at least half by 2020 compared to today, with adequate financing (EUROPE 9764). Speaking on behalf of the French EU Presidency, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet was delighted with these conclusions seeing them as a “joint position that could be presented in Poznan on a subject on which developing countries show increasing interest” given that, at this stage, the clean development mechanism is more to the advantage of emerging countries than to the poorest countries. Stavros Dimas, Environment Commissioner, spoke for his part of a sound Community stance for an agreement on post-2012.
As money is the sinew of war (the Commission considers between €5 billion and €25 billion are needed for this each year), the Council opens the possibility of funding by a Global Forest Carbon Mechanism (GFCM), as the Commission suggests, without however giving this solution exclusivity. The matter is to be discussed at international level with developing countries at the conference in Poznan, the conclusions state.
The Council stresses the need to develop complementary ways to assist developing countries to preserve and sustainably use their forests, e.g. through the promotion of the role of conservation, sustainable management of forest, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
The Council also stresses that recognition of afforestation and reforestation activities should be continued in the 2013 to 2020 period. It invites the Commission to assess the implication of credits generated in the context of a financial mechanism addressing deforestation and forest degradation, under appropriate conditions. It also expresses openness to the idea that recognition for EU ETS compliance as a complementary tool in the medium to long term could be considered after a thorough review and in the light of experience gained, especially on methodological questions. (A.N./transl.jl)