forestry industry blog

In the first of our look at 10 trends that will shape corporate sustainability in 2012, we explore how and why the chief financial officer has become the centerpoint of green initiatives within the enterprise.
our service is updated everyday, come again

Another look at the biggest trends in sustainable business in 2012 reveal how smart transportation systems of tomorrow may derail some of today's most entrenched social norms — namely, the rite of passage known as car ownership.
Rome wasnt built in a day!

Brent Schulkin, the CEO of the startup that aims to harness individuals into a force for good, talks about the power of consumer action and why the stick isn't as effective as the carrot for leveraging sustainability and social media.
this is so true

Event organizers can now report on sustainability issues like impacts on communities, natural environments, and local and global economies, a move that aims to speed adoption of green meetings, and will impact the 2012 Olympics in London.
if people only knew

Tens of millions of news consumers of 20 media outlets in 15 countries got a much-needed flow of information about climate change in the past two weeks thanks to an innovative project called the Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP).

Contact: 

Tim Williams (Panos London) – tim.williams@panos.org.uk
Mike Shanahan (IIED) – mike.shanahan@iied.org
James Fahn (Internews) – jfahn@internews.org

Notes to editors: 

The 2011 fellows and their media outlets were: Maria Gabriela Ensinck (El Cronista Comercial, Argentina); Flavia Moraes (O Eco, Brazil); Li Jing (China Daily, China); Lorenzo Morales (Semana, Colombia); Stella Paul (Planet Earth, India); Isyana Artharini (Yahoo! Indonesia, Indonesia); Carol Francis (TVJ, Jamaica); Tiwonge Ng’ona (The Guardian Newspaper, Malawi); Chrisjan Appollus (Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, Namibia); Ramesh Bhushal (The Himalayan Times, Nepal); Armsfree Ajanaku (The Guardian Newspapers Ltd, Nigeria); Faisal Raza Khan (DAWN News, Pakistan); Dave Durbach (Daily Sun, South Africa); Sean Christie (Mail and Guardian newspaper, South Africa); Fidelis Zvomuya (Agriconnect Communication Media, South Africa); Hasina Mjingo (Tanzania Standard Newspaper Limited); Deodatus Mfugale (Journalists Environmental Association of Tanzania); Heather King (Greenbiz.com, United States) and Jeff Kelly Lowenstein (Hoy, United States).
Funding for the 2011 CCMP programme came from: The Kendeda Fund, the Smart Family Foundation, the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, Tanzania Natural Resource Forum, The Center for International Forestry Research, Hewlett Packard and – through in-kind contributions – Internews, Panos London and the International Institute for Environment and Development.

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thats funny

Communicating climate change is an "orphan" issue among policy-makers, according to speakers at Climate Communications Day, the first ever day-long public forum organized by and for journalists at a climate summit.

Contact: 

Mike Shanahan
Press officer
International Institute for Environment and Development
80-86 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1X 8NH, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)20 3463 7399
Fax: +44 (0)20 3514 9055
Email: mike.shanahan@iied.org
www.iied.org

Notes to editors: 

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is an independent, non-profit research institute. Set up in 1971 and based in London, IIED provides expertise and leadership in researching and achieving sustainable development (see: www.iied.org).

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does anyone know the real story

Department: 
Human Settlements Group

Contract type: 
Permanent

Salary: 
£31,970 – £35,200 depending on experience (up to £39,719 available for exceptional candidates)

Location: 
Central London

Closing date: 
Wednesday 15th February 2012 at 12noon (London time)

Summary of department: 

The Human Settlements Group works to reduce poverty and improve health and housing conditions in the urban centres of Latin America, Asia and Africa. It seeks to combine this with promoting good governance and more ecologically sustainable patterns of urban development. This is achieved by engaging in policy research, most of which is undertaken in partnership with NGOs and academic institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Summary of role: 

IIED has recently received a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to develop a three year documentation and research agenda for learning from the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) and for advancing knowledge on building climate resilience in urban areas. The purpose of this position is to coordinate this project, and to contribute substantively to the documentation, research, and dissemination activities that it involves.
To succeed in this role you must have a post-graduate qualification in a relevant social or environmental science discipline, with a focus on urban development and/or climate change as well as a demonstrated ability to support and manage complex projects, and experience of conducting research in urban areas in low- and middle-income countries. You must have a demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural and international setting and previous practical work experience in Asia is highly desirable.
Please see attached job description for further information.

The Human Settlements Group at IIED are looking for a Researcher to coordinate a three year documentation and research agenda for learning from the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) and for advancing knowledge on building climate resilience in urban areas.
How to apply: 

To apply please complete all sections of the IIED application form and either:

email it to hr@iied.org (please quote the position name that you are applying for in the subject line),
or send it to Human Resources Department, 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8NH
or Fax: +44 (0)20 3514 9055.

CVs without a completed application form will not be accepted.
Closing date for applications: Wednesday 15th February 2012 at 12noon (London time)
Interviews: Friday 2nd March 2012
IIED aims to be an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all areas of the community.

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maybe this will change things

The Forest Governance Learning Group is an informal alliance of in-country groups and international partners currently active in eight African and three Asian countries. We aim to connect those marginalised from forest governance to those controlling it, and to help both do things better.
About this project
Background: 

The Forest Governance Learning Group is an informal alliance of in-country groups and international partners currently active in eight African and three Asian countries. We aim to connect those marginalised from forest governance to those controlling it, and to help both do things better. Since 2003 we have been carrying out focused studies, developing tactics and tools, holding learning events, and working as a group to effect change.
FGLG networks are active in Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam.  They have also been in both Burkina Faso and Niger.
For more in-depth information about the Forest Governance Learning Group, and the many issues being tackled by the teams, please click on 'downloads and links' above and also view the series of films Justice in the forests.
Latest News
With the Mabira forest reserve in Uganda still under threat from an agribusiness takeover, a coalition of MPs, CSOs, academics, professional bodies and political institutions met with the President, his Excellency Y.K. Museveni, and presented a statement of their concerns.  Watch the film about what happened the first time around and get involved by joining the facebook group.

Aims: 

The FGLG aims to improve governance of forest resources internationally and in 11 countries through:

Forest rights and small forest enterprise. Policy reforms, investment decisions and institutional arrangements in favour of secure forest rights and small forest enterprise.

Legitimate forest products. Strategies to improve legality of forest products institutionalise citizen engagement and contribute to broader forest governance improvement.

Pro-poor climate mitigation forestry and adaptation forestry. Initiatives to combat climate change through action in the forest sector contribute to pro-poor forest governance and sustainability.

Trans-national learning and preparedness. Understanding improved in international networks and processes about effective action for improved social justice in forestry.

Impacts: 

Assessment by country teams shows that FGLG’s policy research, tool development, advocacy, media and networking have already produced substantial impact. For example: 

a legal timber partnership agreement between the EC and Ghana has been shaped in favour of community forestry and enterprise

parliamentary action in Malawi is de-criminalising charcoal production and pushing more sustainable livelihoods for the first time

high-level action has been taken on illegal logging and unscrupulous Chinese investment in Mozambique

the President in Uganda has been forced to stop the give-away of forest reserves to exploitative agribusiness

This impact bodes well; it breeds confidence that a ‘critical mass’ of concerned opinion formers and policy makers can be created for scaling up impact over a concerted second phase of the initiative.

Partners: 

The partners who convene a team in each of the countries where FGLG is currently active are:
Burkina Faso University of Ouagadougou
Cameroon African Model Forests Network
Ghana Civic Response
India Enviro Legal Defence Firm
Indonesia Centre for International Forestry Research
Malawi Center for Development Management
Mozambique Center for Public Integrity
Niger SOS Sahel International Niger
South Africa Forestry South Africa
Uganda Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment
Vietnam Independent researcher, Nguyen Quang Tan

Contact: 

James Mayers, Head of Natural Resources

Funded by: 

This project is currently funded by the European Commission and the UK Department for International Development.
The first phase of the project, from 2004 to 2009 was funded by the European Union and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The contents of this webpage are the responsibility of IIED and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of its donors.

Downloads and links
Publications: 

The Forest Governance Learning Group – an alliance active in Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda and Vietnam – has developed practical tactics for securing safe space, provoking dialogue, building constituencies, wielding evidence and interacting politically. It has begun to have significant impacts. To deepen and widen those impacts, FGLG seeks allies.
FGLG teams and IIED have published a number of studies on the role of sustainable forestry in poverty alleviation.
Malawi

Briefing: Sustainable charcoal production by and for local communities
Briefing: Small and medium forest enterprises can reduce poverty
Briefing: Making community based forest management work
Briefing: Channelling REDD+ finance toward sustainable rural livelihoods in Malawi
Report: Malawi's green gold: Challenges and opportunities for small and medium forest enterprises in reducing poverty
Making community based forest management work
Report: Charcoal – the reality: A study of charcoal consumption, trade and production in Malawi

Uganda

Lessons learned from citizen activism in Uganda: saving Mabira forest

India

Non timber forest products and forest governance
NTFP enterprise and forest governance: bamboo
NTFP enterprise and forest governance: mahua
NTFP enterprise and forest governance: tamarind
NTFP enterprise and forest governance: tendu leaves
NTFP enterprise and forest governance: sal seed

Vietnam

Community Forest Management for Whom? Learning from field experience in Vietnam, April 2008 briefing
Red Books for Greener Trees: Strengthening Community Forestry in Vietnam, August 2009 Policy Brief

International

Tenure in REDD: Start-point or afterthought?
Poverty reduction through commercial forestry: What evidence? What prospects?
National forest programmes and similar beasts: Current state of evolution, and future prospects for life
Briefing: Just forest governance

Reports and Papers: 

International reporting

Report of FGLG work from 2010-2011, including ouputs from learning event in Mozambique: Just forest governance – for REDD, for sanity
Outputs and lessons from a learning event in Bali, Indonesia in 2009: Forest Governance Change and Climate Change
Reviewing progress and looking ahead after learning event in Malawi in Social Justice in Forestry (2008)
Progress, achievements and impact of FGLG to 2009, including recommendations in an independent evaluation. The Executive Summary can also be downloaded in French and Vietnamese.
Report of a learning event in Bhopal, India in Making small enterprises work better for social justice in forestry (2007)
Outputs and lessons from a learning event in Mukono, Uganda in Social justice in forestry: report of a learning event (2006)

Activity updates

May 2009 Update
September 2008 Poster summary of FGLG
June 2008 Update
September 2007 Update
April 2007 Update
January 2006 Update
June 2004 Update
June 2003, project document

Country reports

FGLG-Malawi report on Locally controlled forestry (2009)
FGLG-Malawi investigation into the timber value chain analysis of small and medium forest operators in Timber value chain analysis for Viphya Plantation (2009)
FGLG-Vietnam report on Community Forestry and Poverty Alleviation (2009)
IIED report assessing the potential social, economic and environmental impacts of Ghana entering into a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union (EU) (2008)
 

Plans for the future

Each country annually reviews its work plan – you can see the full details for 2011 for Cameroon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam.

Press & Media: 

On the big screen
FGLG have produced a series of short films: Justice in the forests
In the blogosphere
We encourage informed and opinionated comments to these insights into forestry in the developing world:
2011
15 Sep  REDD+ in Mozambique: new opportunity for land grabbers?
07 Sep  Assessing REDD+: beyond carbon measurements
24 Aug  Sanity in REDD governance shock!
17 Aug  Uganda's forest grabbers are back – but the people are ready
18 Jul   Biomass in the red – but can we put biomass into REDD+
12 Jul   When we care for it: preserving the cultural ans spiritual value of forests
31 May Would you like to be my partner?
09 May Delivering REDD+
26 Jan  Lumbering illegality: how to make timber sustainable and pro-poor
17 Jan  Local voice, global forest, local forest, global voice
2010
22 Dec Tick tock — it’s the year of forests
17 Dec A pinch of salt from Namaacha
14 Dec Turn REDD on its head
In the press
2011
07 Sep Just Means: Think Tank Warns About Flaws in Sustainable Forestry Scheme
30 Aug Ghana Business News: Forest protection plans in Ghana, others headed for disaster unless…
25 Aug Panapress: Study finds plans to protect forests could do more harm than good
25 Aug Ghana Business News: Tropical countries fail to bring social, environmental benefits – Report
27 Jul The Nation: Can Malawi put biomass into REDD+?
13 Jun New Vision Online: Minister cancels appointment of NFA boss
25 Apr Reuters AlertNet: Films explore who gets to decide about forests
25 Apr Eco-business: Red book key to managing Vietnam’s forests
27 Mar IPP Media: Key players push for urgent forest conservation
2010
19 Dec Carbon based: Turn REDD on its head
16 Dec Forest Industries: Turn REDD on its head
07 Jun Africa Business: Government brings hope for Malawi forests
2009
02 Dec Jakarta Globe: Indonesia's Carbon Trading Pie Should Be Split Fairly: Expert
02 Dec Jakarta Post: Two villages cited as forest stewardship beacons
28 Nov Voice of Indonesia: Int'l forest experts meet in Bali for sustainable forest
27 Nov Jakarta Post: Int'l forest experts to meet in Bali to discuss sustainable forest system
17 Aug Report backs novel approach to improving forest governance
04 May Latest report of Forest Governance Learning Group impacts in ten countries
2008
04 Dec Forests can reduce poverty says govt
29 Nov Malawi to host international indaba on sustainable forest management
24 Nov Malawi meeting shows how to make forestry fair and sustainable
09 Oct Gov't clamps down on charcoal producers, leaves no alternative
08 Oct MALAWI: Charcoal is a burning issue
2007
04 Dec African and Asian experts in India to promote social justice in forestry
17 Sep Progress on forest governance in 10 African and Asian nations 
13 Apr Forest protest ends in teargas and death – but a green governance movement starts to emerge in Uganda

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so interesting

Community-based initiatives for biodiversity and poverty reduction, where biodiversity is sustainably managed by communities for nutrition, health, cultural and other needs, receive little official support and recognition. Their wider adoption is often hampered by unsupportive policy environments.
About this project
Background: 

Community-based initiatives for biodiversity and poverty reduction, where biodiversity is sustainably managed by communities for nutrition, health, cultural and other needs, receive little official support and recognition. Their wider adoption is often hampered by unsupportive policy environments.

Aims: 

This project aims to understand how policy, economics and governance affect community-based initiatives, and how to better engage with governance in order to scale-up community initiatives and reduce poverty.
The ‘Policy That Works’ approach is focuses on improving policy processes, as opposed to policy contents or instruments. It seeks to strengthen the capacity of marginalised biodiversity managers (for example, local and indigenous communities and traditional farmers) to influence policy, seize political opportunities, and move forward policy debates.

Partners: 

International United Nations Development Programme Equator Initiative
India Winrock International India
Tanzania Institute of Resource Assessment
Peru Association for Nature and Sustainable Development and National Environment Council

Contact: 

Krystyna Swiderska krystyna.swiderska@iied.org

Funded by: 

This project has been funded by SwedBio, United Nations Development Programme, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Downloads and links
Publications: 

The Governance of Nature and the Nature of Governance: Policy that works for Biodiversity and livelihoods was officially launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in October 2008 in Barcelona, Spain.
National workshop on biodiversity and environmental governance: Safeguarding ecosystems for human well-being, 4-5 December 2006, New DelhiRead workshop report Read press release 
Policy that works for biodiversity and poverty reduction: The ANDES community initiative component of the scoping study on biodiversity governance in Peru
Doing policy work: Practical guidance for understanding and improving policies and institutions
Workshop on Learning from Community Action to Realise the Millennium Development Goals,13-18 July 2003, KenyaNotes from the Policy Break-out Groups

Press & Media: 

11 Jan 2007 Dark side of the boom: Indian growth costs the poor and environment dear

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Rome wasnt built in a day!

A multimedia publication released in Bamako today, 11th December 2008, captures the deep concern among West African farmers about the privatisation of seeds and knowledge.

Links: 

Biodiversité: Échange et Diffusion d’Expérienceshttp://www.bede-asso.org/
Coordination Nationale des Organisations Paysanneshttp://www.cnop-mali.org/
 

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this is bogus, who would think