Brussels, 15/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 12 December, European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas endorsed the joint ministerial declaration adopted by 18 developing and developed countries at the UN climate change conference with the aim of reducing emissions from deforestation. The joint statement was the initiative of the United Kingdom, and was supported in the EU by Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the European Commission, by third countries with tropical forests (including Brazil, Cameroon, Congo, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Guinea, Peru and Thailand) and by other countries, such as Australia, Japan and Norway. Forests play a key role for the global climate and deforestation is responsible for almost a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions.
“Tropical deforestation is a major source of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global warming, so action on this is essential under the global climate agreement which the international community must conclude at the end of next year,” said Dimas in a press release. He went on to say that the Poznañ declaration would strengthen and accelerate this process. The European Commission has proposed the creation of an international financial mechanism to reward developing countries for their efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation. No decision was taken in Poznañ, however, on the issue financial rewards.
The 18 countries that signed the Poznañ declaration have undertaken to take early action to reduce emissions from deforestation and tropical forest degradation (REDD). They consider that REDD should be among the targets for at the Copenhagen conference in 2009. REDD is a call backed by developing countries in Africa and Asia, and in Brazil, in particular. Financial mechanisms will have to be found in Copenhagen to reward countries for tackling the issue of emissions from deforestation, warned German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel. He suggested setting up a fund linked to the carbon market. (L.C./transl.rt)