2025 NCF-Envirothon Alberta Current Issue Part A Study Resources PDF

2025 NCF-Envirothon Alberta Current Issue Part A Study Resources Key Topic #5: Legislation and Regulations 21. Describe how governments determine if forest harvesting levels will be sustainable in the future with climate change. 22. Explain how natural disturbances such as wildfires, windstorms, droughts, and hail storms impact the forest industry’s total annual harvest quota. 23. Describe how forest certification can be used as a global tool to manage forests sustainably. 24. Identify key takeaways of the 2015 Paris Agreement and how the commitments made influence forest sustainability. 25. Explain the main goals of the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Protocol and the positive impacts this agreement could have on forest sustainability. Study Resources Resource Title Source Located on Managing for diversity: How sustainable forest management conserves and protects Natural Resources Canada, 2024 Pages 117-120 Canada’s diverse forest values Environment and Climate Change Forest Management and Disturbances Pages 121-124 Canada, 2024 Environment and Climate Change Sustainability and Timber Harvest (AAC) Page 125 Canada, 2018 Making the case for sustainable forest Canadian Council of Forest Pages 126-127 management certification Ministers, 2020 United Nations Climate Change, The Paris Agreement Pages 128-129 2024 Implementing Article 5 of the Paris Food and Agriculture Agreement and achieving climate neutrality Organization of the United Pages 130-131 through forests: From COFO24 to COP24 Nations, 2018 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity UN Environment Program, 2022 Pages 132-133 Framework Selections from: Climate Change Adaptation USDA Forest Service, 2022 Pages 134-139 Plan European forests: how climate change, land International Institute for Applied ownership, and forest-related policies Systems Analysis, 2024 Pages 140-141 influence future wood supply 2025 NCF-Envirothon Alberta Current Issue Part A Study Resources Selections from: Guide to Chinese Climate Sandalow et al. – The Oxford Pages 142-151 Policy 2022, Chapter 23-Forestry Institute for Energy Studies, 2022 Closing Adaptation Knowledge Gaps in UN Climate Change News, 2023 Pages 152-153 Asia-Pacific Association of Southeast Asian Forestry Cooperation Pages 154-157 Nations, 2024 Executive Summary from Latin American Ardila et al. – Inter-American and Caribbean Forests in the 2020s: Trends, Pages 158-163 Development Bank, 2021 Challenges, and Opportunities (excerpt) Study Resources begin on the next page! FOREST MANAGEMENT AND DISTURBANCES CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS Forest management and disturbances In 2022, Canada's forests made up an area of approximately 3.7 million square kilometres (about 40% of Canada's land area). These forests account for approximately 9% of the world's forests. Much of it grows in the boreal zone, throughout which over 2.8 million square kilometres of forest are interspersed with lakes, wetlands, and other ecosystems. Canada's rich forest ecosystems offer significant environmental, social and cultural benefits, as well as opportunities for responsible economic development.1 This indicator presents a series of measures covering timber harvest, forest disturbances, and forest regeneration. Timber harvest This section compares the total amount of wood harvested with the sustainable wood supply. To ensure that forests can continue to provide timber, harvests must remain within sustainable limits. The sustainable wood supply is defined as the potential volume of timber which can be harvested sustainably as determined by a complex analysis of ecological, economic, and social considerations. The volume of wood harvested should remain at or below the sustainable wood supply, and it is usually well below these limits. Annual timber harvest compared to the sustainable wood supply Key results In 2021: Canada's sustainable wood supply was approximately 215 million cubic metres the amount of industrial roundwood harvested in 2021 was 147 million cubic metres, which represents approximately 68% of the sustainable wood supply The annual harvest of industrial roundwood reached a peak of 208 million cubic metres in 2004, declined to a low of 116 million cubic metres in 2009, then increased to reach approximately 147 million cubic metres in 2021. This pattern is mostly the result of economic factors, such as the collapse in the United States housing market in 2008 and subsequent global economic downturn that led to reduced demands for Canadian lumber and pulp and paper products. The 2021 increase in harvest is mostly attributable to net increases in timber volumes harvested in British Columbia and Quebec. Both the estimated wood supply and the volume of wood harvested fluctuate in response to a wide range of ecological, social and economic factors. Changes in wood supply are largely a result of adjustments in provincial forest management objectives, such as, decreases in order to conserve animal habitat or increases to harvest insect-damaged wood. Comparing the amount of timber harvested to the estimated sustainable wood supply is one way to track forest management. Canada is committed to sustainable forest management, which is defined as "management that maintains and enhances the long- term health of forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for present and future generations." 2 In practice, sustainable forest management means ensuring that forests provide a broad range of goods and services over the long term. Therefore, forest managers plan for harvest levels that ensure the long-term sustainability of environmental, economic and social objectives for the managed forest. Forest disturbances Number of forest fires and area burned Key results In 2022, Canada experienced an estimated 5 639 fires that burned approximately 16 543 square kilometres of forest While the number of fires and area burned fluctuate year over year, Canada experienced a peak in 1998 for number of fires and in 1995 for area burned with a low in 2020 for both number of fires and area burned Forest fires are a natural part of the forest ecosystem and are important for maintaining the health and diversity of the forest. Fire is the primary means of environmental change in the boreal zone and is as crucial to forest renewal as the sun and rain. Forest fires release valuable nutrients stored in the debris on the forest floor. They open the forest canopy to sunlight, which stimulates new growth. 3 However, they can also result in costly economic and environmental losses and public health and safety concerns by directly threatening communities and infrastructure or reducing visibility and air quality through smoke. The expected hotter and drier conditions as a result of climate change may result in more frequent and severe forest fires in Canada. 4 The total area burned varies widely from year to year, but averages about 25 000 square kilometres annually. Only 3% of all wildland fires that start each year in Canada grow to more than 2 square kilometres in area. However, these fires account for 97% of the total area burned across the country.5 In 2021, about 3 090, or 46% of forest fires across Canada were caused by human activity. This resulted in approximately 5 500 square kilometres of forest burned, representing nearly 14% of the total area burned nationally.6 Area disturbed by insects Key results In 2021, approximately 160 000 square kilometres of Canadian forests were disturbed (including beetle-killed trees) by insects Canada's forests are home to thousands of species of native and introduced insects. Most of the time, these species contribute a vital role to the normal functioning of forest ecosystems as prey for other species or by recycling nutrients back into the forest.7 Only a small number of insect species kill trees and damage forests. This can occur when insect populations experience outbreaks over vast areas. Disturbance, or defoliation, is the removal of all or most of a plant's leaves by natural disturbance agents (for example, insects) or through the actions of humans (for example, the application of herbicides). These impacts can reduce Canada's timber supply and influence the functioning of forest ecosystems, which can in turn affect carbon stocks, increase fire risk and reduce the recreational and non-timber uses of forests. Sustainability and Timber Harvest Wood supply estimation Wood supply, the volume of timber that can be harvested sustainably, is estimated for each province and territory. Wood supply levels are estimated for forests that are actively managed for timber, which is a subset of forests and other wooded land. Provincial and territorial wood supplies are summed to estimate Canada's wood supply. Wood supply is the sum of 2 values: 1. The estimated Annual Allowable Cut (known as Allowable Annual Cut in British Columbia, and known as Guarantee of Supply in Quebec) for provincial Crown lands, that is, publicly owned lands under provincial jurisdiction. The estimated Annual Allowable Cut is the volume of industrial roundwood that can be harvested sustainably each year from provincial Crown lands, as estimated by professional foresters. Provincial Crown lands make up 77%5 of Canada's forest, but the percentage varies by province. Most provinces establish Annual Allowable Cuts levels for their Crown lands based on a policy of maintaining a non-declining future wood supply. They also consider a range of additional factors. For example, Annual Allowable Cuts levels may be decreased in order to maintain animal habitat, or they may be increased so that insect damaged wood can be salvaged. The importance of individual factors to the Annual Allowable Cut varies among provinces and even among forest management areas within provinces, due to regional differences in forestry policies. Each province is responsible for the extensive rationale behind an Annual Allowable Cut determination for individual forest management areas. Additional information is available from provincial resource management organizations.6 The volume of wood harvested may be above or below the Annual Allowable Cut in any one year, but it must balance out over the regulation period, which varies from 5 to 10 years depending on the jurisdiction. Annual Allowable Cuts are set based on an assessment of a wide range of ecological, social and economic factors, therefore they are only a proxy for the sustainable level of harvest. The Paris Agreement What is the Paris Agreement? The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” However, in recent years, world leaders have stressed the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century. That’s because the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that crossing the 1.5°C threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves and rainfall. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030. The Paris Agreement is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brings all nations together to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. How does the Paris Agreement work? Implementation of the Paris Agreement requires economic and social transformation, based on the best available science. The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action -- or, ratcheting up -- carried out by countries. Since 2020, countries have been submitting their national climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Each successive NDC is meant to reflect an increasingly higher degree of ambition compared to the previous version. Recognizing that accelerated action is required to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the COP27 cover decision requests Parties to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their NDCs to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2023, taking into account different national circumstances. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) In their NDCs, countries communicate actions they will take to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Countries also communicate in their NDCs actions they will take to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Long-Term Strategies To better frame the efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement invites countries to formulate and submit long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS). LT-LEDS provide the long-term horizon to the NDCs. Unlike NDCs, they are not mandatory. Nevertheless, they place the NDCs into the context of countries’ long-term planning and development priorities, providing a vision and direction for future development. How are countries supporting one another? The Paris Agreement provides a framework for financial, technical and capacity building support to those countries who need it. Finance The Paris Agreement reaffirms that developed countries should take the lead in providing financial assistance to countries that are less endowed and more vulnerable, while for the first time also encouraging voluntary contributions by other Parties. Climate finance is needed for mitigation, because large-scale investments are required to significantly reduce emissions. Climate finance is equally important for adaptation, as significant financial resources are needed to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate. Technology The Paris Agreement speaks of the vision of fully realizing technology development and transfer for both improving resilience to climate change and reducing GHG emissions. It establishes a technology framework to provide overarching guidance to the well-functioning Technology Mechanism. The mechanism is accelerating technology development and transfer through its policy and implementation arms. Capacity-Building Not all developing countries have sufficient capacities to deal with many of the challenges brought by climate change. As a result, the Paris Agreement places great emphasis on climate-related capacity-building for developing countries and requests all developed countries to enhance support for capacity-building actions in developing countries. How are we tracking progress? With the Paris Agreement, countries established an enhanced transparency framework (ETF). Under ETF, starting in 2024, countries will report transparently on actions taken and progress in climate change mitigation, adaptation measures and support provided or received. It also provides for international procedures for the review of the submitted reports. The information gathered through the ETF will feed into the Global stocktake which will assess the collective progress towards the long-term climate goals. This will lead to recommendations for countries to set more ambitious plans in the next round. What have we achieved so far? Although climate change action needs to be massively increased to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the years since its entry into force have already sparked low-carbon solutions and new markets. More and more countries, regions, cities and companies are establishing carbon neutrality targets. Zero-carbon solutions are becoming competitive across economic sectors representing 25% of emissions. This trend is most noticeable in the power and transport sectors and has created many new business opportunities for early movers. By 2030, zero-carbon solutions could be competitive in sectors representing over 70% of global emissions. Implementing Article 5 of the Paris Agreement and achieving climate neutrality through forests: From COFO24 to COP24 23/07/2018 On 16 July 2018, government representatives, civil society and international organizations gathered for the high-level side event co-hosted by Poland’s Presidency for COP24 and FAO entitled “Implementing Article 5 of the Paris Agreement and achieving climate neutrality through forests”. It took place during the 6th World Forest Week at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy and highlighted the catalytic and driving role of forests in strengthening efforts to implement the Paris Agreement. Article 5 of the Paris Agreement invites countries to take action to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases, including forests. The article also encourages actions to implement and support, including through results-based payments, the existing Warsaw Framework for REDD+ adopted in COP 19, and alternative policy approaches such as sustainable management of forests. At the same time, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger and poverty while making agriculture and food systems sustainable will require food system transformations and strategies that leverage the food system to boost economic growth in countries where industrialization is lagging. “The Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes that we need to look at food security and the management of natural resources together. Both global agreements call for a coherent and integrated approach across all agricultural sectors. Forests and forestry have key roles to play in this regard” said FAO Deputy Director-General of Programmes, Dan Gustafson. The world continues to make progress in all dimensions of sustainable forest management. Although forests continue to be lost, the rate of loss has been cut by 25% since the period 2000-2005. Promisingly, the proportion of protected forest area and forests under long-term management plans are increasing. Deforestation and forest degradation are still concern in some regions, particularly in the tropics, indicating the need for more action to reduce deforestation and implement sustainable forest and land management practices. “Sustainable and effective forest and peatlands management cannot be achieved without the involvement of local communities and civil society who can bring valuable knowledge and a fresh viewpoint to discussions. Innovative forest monitoring tools available today are crucial in efforts to demonstrate the reduction of deforestation,” said H.E. Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Environment and Forests, Indonesia. Actions to reduce emission levels arising from deforestation and forest degradation and to enhance forest carbon sinks are one of the most significant and cost-effective ways to reduce global emissions, while also producing important adaptation, biodiversity, livelihood and development benefits. “Improving the income and living conditions of local communities and indigenous peoples while ensuring the conservation of biodiversity is one of the main outcomes expected from the implementation of programmes and projects related to sustainable forest management,” said H.E. Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Republic of Congo. Ms Beth MacNeil, Assistant Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service shared the example of the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program intended to fund initiatives to reduce reliance on diesel fuel in Canada's rural and remote communities, the majority of which are Indigenous. Part of this programming will support the use of the forest biomass in producing heat and power. Mr Slawomir Mazurek, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of the Environment, Republic of Poland and the host of COP24, highlighted the importance of innovations and developing enabling conditions for the use of wood for housing and energy efficiency in buildings. He stressed that Poland promotes integrating the protection of forests with their multiple uses, through sustainable management practices, as a way to implement Article 5 of the Paris Agreement. “Forests are one of the priority topics for COP24 Presidency, including the COP24 President himself, who attaches great importance to this topic. We see and recognise the vital role which forests play in achieving climate neutrality,” he said. “We must keep the momentum from the discussions here at COFO24, toward COP24, and beyond, and ensure the message that forests have not only a huge catalytic role but a driving role to bring along other sectors. We must work together across sectors to ensure their potential is fully realised,” was the conclusion of Tiina Vahanen, Forestry Department, FAO, in her closing remarks. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Excerpts CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND CLIMATE VULNERABILITIES ADAPTATION The Forest Service identified key risks to the agency’s mission in six categories: 1. Shifting fire regimes and resulting effects on PLAN ecological integrity, multiple uses, human safety and well-being, and wildland fire management operations. Executive Summary 2. Extreme events and disturbances, including the Climate change threatens the ability of the USDA effects of flooding, drought, insect outbreaks, invasive Forest Service to fulfill its mission by undermining species, and severe storms. the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s 3. Chronic stressors to watersheds and ecosystems, such as altered productivity and composition, changes forests and grasslands. A robust climate change in habitat for plants and animals, and implications for response aligns with the agency’s core values of the agency’s ability to manage these systems over conservation, interdependence, safety, diversity, and time. service. The “USDA Forest Service Climate Adaptation 4. Disruption in the delivery of ecosystem products and services, including clean water, carbon uptake and Plan” outlines key climate risks to the agency’s storage, forest and rangeland products, and recreation operations and critical adaptation actions to reduce opportunities. these risks and help ensure that the Forest Service 5. Disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged continues to meet the needs of present and future communities and Tribal Nations, including human generations. health impacts, loss of cultural resources, and threats to economic prosperity and equity. Figure 1 shows the focus areas associated with these 6. Threats to the agency mission, infrastructure, and adaptation actions. The focus areas reflect more operations from disruption to operations, strains on specific activities that the agency can undertake across workforce capacity, more complex public engagement, its programs to implement the overarching actions and and fewer resources. reduce the greatest risks to the agency’s mission and operations. Tribal engagement, environmental justice, ADAPTATION ACTIONS workforce climate literacy, and the USDA Climate To reduce these risks, the Forest Service will take six Hubs will serve as foundations for adaptation and overarching adaptation actions that correspond to the six guide how we implement the corresponding actions to categories above: achieve the desired outcomes. The Forest Service will 1. Adapt to changing fire regimes. annually evaluate progress on adaptation actions and 2. Prepare ecosystems and watersheds for extreme focus areas using the Climate Action Tracker. Actions events and intensifying disturbances. will align with other USDA and agency programs and 3. Sustain and improve ecosystem and watershed function in the face of chronic stressors. initiatives on climate change, environmental justice, 4. Support the delivery of ecosystem products and and wildfire risk. services in a changing climate. 5. Deliver environmental justice through adaptation actions. 6. Increase agency capacity to respond to climate change. 6 Adaptation Actions Focus Areas Foundations Outcomes 1 a. Implement the Wildfire Crisis Strategy through climate-informed actions. b. Prepare the wildland fire workforce for a changing climate. Adapt to changing fire regimes c. Practice safe and effective fire response in a changing climate. Reduced wildfire risk d. Prepare for more post-fire landscapes. e. Develop and apply interdisciplinary science to adapt to changing wildfire regimes. Prepare Tribal Engagement /Environmental Justice /Climate Hubs /Climate Literacy 2 ecosystems, a. Develop climate-informed monitoring and early warning systems. watersheds, and b. Help watersheds adapt to changing conditions, drought, and flooding. Reduced risk to extreme infrastructure for c. Help ecosystems adapt to intensifying disturbances and extreme events. weather and disturbance extreme events d. Develop systems for rapid and effective response to disturbances. and intensifying e. Conduct research to reduce risk from climate-driven disturbances. disturbances Sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations Sustain ecosystem and a. Fully integrate climate considerations into guidance and directives. 3 watershed b. Plan for future conditions across boundaries. Productive, diverse function in the c. Manage ecosystems for long-term change. ecosystems and face of chronic d. Apply decision support tools to set priorities for adaptation activities. watersheds stressors e. Advance research on climate-adaptive ecosystem management. Support the 4 a. Help ensure the continued delivery of ecosystem services. delivery of b. Support new and existing forest product markets that align with adaptation. ecosystem c. Adapt recreation facilities and opportunities to sustain the recreation economy. Multiple benefits products and d. Take flexible approaches to manage grazing. provided to the public services in a e. Support research on ecosystem products, services, and markets. changing climate a. Identify and engage disadvantaged communities. b. Consult with Tribal Nations and establish strategic partnerships with 5 Deliver disadvantaged communities. Enhanced social resilience environmental c. Improve communication of climate risks and opportunities for adaptation. to climate impacts and justice through d. Help communities become fire-adapted as they prepare for climate change. environmental justice adaptation actions e. Expand urban forestry benefits to disadvantaged communities. f. Support social science research and applications to help address environmental justice. a. Expand climate change workforce capacity. 6 Increase agency b. Support employees as they tackle climate change. Agency workforce and capacity to respond c. Establish agencywide employee education on climate change operations are prepared for to climate change and environmental justice. multiple climate impacts d. Reduce risks and improve capacity in agency operations and infrastructure. Figure 1. Overview of Agency Adaptation Actions. 7 INTRODUCTION Assessing current risks, vulnerabilities, policies, and gaps in knowledge. Engaging employees and stakeholders to seek The “USDA Forest Service Climate Adaptation Plan” solutions. presents a vision for integrating climate change Managing for resilience, in ecosystems and well adaptation into the Forest Service’s operations and as in human communities, through adaptation, mission. The plan is part of the Forest Service’s mitigation, and sustainable consumption strategies. response to Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which calls These three modes of action continue to drive the on Federal Departments and agencies to develop agency’s work on climate change. The adaptation plan climate adaptation plans that secure environmental incorporates the knowledge gained and progress made justice and spur economic opportunity. In October in the decade since the launch of the climate change 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) roadmap but places a new emphasis on environmental released its Action Plan for Climate Adaptation and justice. To evaluate progress under the adaptation Resilience to describe how the USDA is preparing plan, the Forest Service will use a new Climate Action for and responding to current and future impacts of Tracker, which builds on previous iterations of the climate change. As part of developing its plan, USDA agency’s climate scorecards. issued a new departmental regulation (DR 1070-001), directing each of its agencies to update its adaptation plans. The “USDA Forest Service Climate Adaptation Plan” describes the top risks to the agency’s mission, responsibilities, and operations and outlines key actions to manage these risks. The adaptation plan builds on the modes of action outlined in the Forest Service’s “National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change”: ADAPTATION - The adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment that exploits beneficial opportunities or moderates negative effects. The adaptation plan builds on the modes of action outlined in the Forest Service’s “National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change”: Assessing current risks, vulnerabilities, policies, and gaps in knowledge. Engaging employees and stakeholders to seek solutions. Managing for resilience, in ecosystems and well as in human communities, through adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable consumption strategies. 8 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE The “USDA Forest Service Climate Adaptation partnerships to build capacity in communities Plan” is part of a whole-of-government approach to disproportionately affected by climate change. Low- deliver environmental justice and spur economic income, minority, and Indigenous communities have opportunity for overburdened and marginalized experienced decades of disinvestment and institutional communities. By meaningfully involving these inequities that contribute to their vulnerability to communities in cocreating climate adaptation actions climate change. The vulnerabilities include housing and treating them fairly, the Forest Service will help insecurity; preexisting health conditions; higher rates ensure that they do not suffer disproportionate of poverty and unemployment; the higher likelihood of adverse impacts from agency decisions and that they living near environmental hazards and contaminated benefit equitably from climate adaptation activities. lands; and a lack of access to healthcare, clean air and Executive Order 14008 emphasizes environmental water, healthy foods, green space, and transportation. justice for historically marginalized communities, including low-income, minority, Indigenous, and “Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to other disadvantaged communities. The executive meet the needs of present and future generations— order launched the Justice40 Initiative, which aims the needs of everyone, from every background and to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits from walk of life. Communities of color as well as Tribal, Federal investments in climate and clean energy low-income, and minority communities already to disadvantaged communities. The executive live with more environmental burdens, and they order refers to “disadvantaged communities” but are disproportionately affected by climate change. interim implementation guidance for departments Fulfilling our mission means instilling the principles and agencies notes that community members of equity and environmental justice into all of our prefer different terms, such as “overburdened and policies, programs, and practices, including every step underserved communities.”1 The Forest Service can we take to reduce climate-related risk. ” use the USDA Climate Hubs and new and emerging Chief Randy Moore 1 See footnote 4, “https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/M-21-28.pdf. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) - The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, income, and educational levels with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of protective environmental laws, regulations, and policies. FAIR TREATMENT -The principle that no group of people, including a racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of Federal, State, local, and Tribal programs and policies. In implementing its programs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expanded the concept of fair treatment to include not only consideration of how burdens are distributed across all populations but the distribution of benefits as well. MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT - Potentially affected community residents have an opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health. The public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision and the concerns of all participants involved will be considered in the decision-making process. The decision- makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. Source: EJ 2020 Glossary | US EPA 11 TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT In addition to the Forest Service’s formal government- developing climate adaptation actions that advance to-government relationships with Tribal Nations, the equity with and for the benefit of Indigenous peoples, agency’s ability to adapt to climate change depends on including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native building trust and developing strong collaborations Hawaiians, and Indigenous peoples of the U.S. with Tribal Nations and other Indigenous peoples. territories. Traditional Ecological Knowledge, a The adaptation plan aligns with actions outlined in form of Indigenous Knowledge, makes important the upcoming publication “2022-2024 Forest Service contributions to scientific, technical, social, and National Tribal Relations Action Plan,” a national economic progress in the United States. The Forest strategic document that gives agency employees Service is committed to using this knowledge to direction and assistance to help them fulfill the Forest shape its climate adaptation policies. Tribal Nations Service’s Federal Trust responsibility, honor treaty and the Forest Service can work together using their obligations, and support Tribal self-determination. collective knowledge, experience, and resources to The “USDA Forest Service Climate Adaptation Plan” costeward Federal lands and contribute to the long- also supports the 2021 Memorandum on Indigenous term sustainability of ecological and cultural resources Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Federal of both Federal and Tribal lands in the face of Decision Making by paving the way for collaboratively climate change. Yavapai-Apache Youth Dancers at Archaeology Discovery Days at V Bar V Heritage Site, Coconino National Forest, Arizona, March 2017. USDA Forest Service photo by Deborah Lee Soltesz. 12 RELATED INITIATIVES The adaptation plan builds on and aligns with other established in USDA’s action plan. The Forest Service department and agency policies, strategy documents, adaptation plan will use the USDA Climate Hubs to and initiatives at the interface of climate change, support adaptation science, technology, and tools, sustainability, and environmental justice (appendix 1). as called for in the USDA action plan. The Forest In particular, the plan aligns with key actions outlined Service plan also echoes the need for a forest and in the USDA Action Plan for Climate Adaptation and wildfire resilience strategy highlighted in the USDA Resilience and the Climate-Smart Agriculture and climate-smart strategy. In addition, the Forest Service Forestry Strategy: 90-Day Report. The “USDA Forest plan aligns with key actions described in two recent Service Climate Adaptation Plan” is supplemental to strategic documents: the “Forest Service Equity Action the Department’s goals to build resilience to climate Plan” and “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A New change. By investing in ecosystem health, expanding Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving education and outreach, and continuing research Resilience in America’s Forests.” and development, the agency will build on the goals Pike Mountain Overlook, Minidoka Ranger District, Sawtooth National Forest. October 2015. USDA Forest Service photo by Nancy Brunswick. OLD-GROWTH AND MATURE FORESTS Old-growth and mature forests, and other forests with similar characteristics, are an ecologically and culturally important part of the National Forest System. They reside within a continuum of forest age classes and vegetation types that provides for a wide diversity of ecosystem values. Many forests with old-growth characteristics have a combination of higher carbon density and biodiversity that contributes to both carbon storage and climate resilience. They are often viewed as ideal candidates for increased conservation efforts, and are frequently found within areas designated as wilderness or roadless or other management areas where timber harvest is precluded. Even so, as climate continues to deviate from historical norms, many of these forests are expected to be at increasing risk from acute and chronic disturbances such as drought, wildfires, and insect and disease outbreaks. As a result, climate-amplified disturbances like these have become the primary threat to old-growth stands on national forests. In response, Executive Order 14072 Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies emphasizes the climate-informed stewardship of mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands, as part of a science-based approach to maintain valued characteristics and reduce wildfire risk. There is no single “right answer” in addressing the complex problem, but the spirit and practice of shared stewardship can help us generate the frank discussions necessary to consider values and risks as we find the best paths forward. 13 European forests: how climate change, land ownership, and forest-related policies influence future wood supply International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis – 14 March 2024 IIASA researchers contributed to a new study analyzing factors affecting future wood supply in Europe such as climate change, land use, and policy developments. The authors propose practical response measures for different stakeholder groups, including the wood-based industry, forest management, and policymakers. The study on Europe’s wood supply in disruptive times was released by TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS, a science-business platform founded by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and Mondi to connect stakeholders across the forest value chain. The platform comprises a professional network of 100+ scientists (including several IIASA researchers), business representatives, and policymakers. The new publication captures the factors identified in numerous scientific studies influencing wood supply from European forests, and outlines the impacts of climate change, while also considering other factors, such as political uncertainties and a fragmented forest landscape. Bridging the gap between science and application of insights, the authors highlight practical implications and response measures for the wood-based industry, forest management, and policymakers. The study compiles the findings of a wide range of scientific papers and research, and also includes the perspectives of different stakeholders evaluated during the process. Challenges for forests and the wood-based industry Forests in Europe are strongly affected by climate change, with far-reaching consequences for forest health and ecosystem services, including the supply of wood. Tree species of great commercial importance are significantly impacted by disturbances such as extreme drought events, bark beetle infestation, frequent heatwaves, and wildfires. Forests and wood-based industries also face other challenges such as political uncertainties and a fragmented forest landscape caused by alterations in land use. With forests being highly sensitive to climate change and significantly impacted by disturbances such as drought or heat, forest owners and managers are urged to take adaptive measures. “We need more mixed and structurally diverse forests, including natural regeneration and active assisted migration of species that are more adapted to future climates,” explains study author Manfred Lexer from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Austria. “In European forests that are available for wood supply we have six dominant tree species: pine, spruce, fir, beech, oak, and birch. Spruce, beech, and pine are among the most vulnerable species, especially to drought,” he adds. The results, for example, indicate that the forest area in Europe suitable for Norway spruce will decrease by about 50% depending on different climate change scenarios, while the suitability for other species will increase significantly. For the wood-based sector, which relies on the sufficient availability of woody biomass, it is key to gradually move away from the current strong dependency on softwoods (such as spruce and pine) and consider the production of new value- added wood-based products. Emerging products such as wood-based plastics, textile fibers or nano-fibrillated cellulose for packaging, for instance, are less dependent on certain tree species than traditional products. “In view of these challenges and a growing demand for wood-based products, forest-based industries in Europe will need to reflect their current business models. Technological and digital innovation, as well as a cascading use of wood is driving the transition towards a circular economy and supports the adaptation to future changes in wood supply,” comments study author Anne-Christine Ritschkoff from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. “The future of research and innovation should be focused on the holistic and resource-efficient use of wood materials,” she says. The role of forest ownership Other factors impacting the supply of wood include forest ownership and demographic changes among landowners. While there are differences in forest ownership between European regions, the share of private forest ownership has increased since the early 1990s, with 56% of European forest areas now being privately owned. In addition, private ownership has become more heterogeneous with more non-traditional, urban, or passive owners. This often leads to less interest or capacity among forest owners to supply wood to the market. “Wood harvesting and profit maximization are not the only – or even the primary – motivation for many forest owners and, therefore, are not the main goal of their management practices. It will be important for policymakers to implement initiatives that engage and incentivize private forest owners,” comments study author Špela Pezdevšek Malovrh from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Policies to promote sustainable forest management The factors affecting forests and wood supply outlined in the study need corresponding policy responses at different levels from global to local, particularly a better harmonization and integration of policies that promote sustainable forest management practices. “Strategic investments in research and innovation are needed to develop integrated, sustainable wood supply strategies and technologies that can adapt to changing circumstances, including the regionalization of supply chains and evolving market dynamics,” notes study coauthor Florian Kraxner who leads the Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services Research Group at IIASA. “This will support the development of wood supply strategies and technologies to ensure adaptation and resilience of European forests to climate change in the long-term.” The authors further emphasize that cooperation and partnerships are paramount to successfully navigating the uncertainties and changes ahead for the future of wood supply in Europe. Interdisciplinary, transnational, and cross-sectoral collaborations can facilitate the implementation of successful strategies and guide the wood-based industry towards innovation, adaptability, and resilience amid evolving challenges. Beyond cooperation, the study shows that education and communication within and outside the forest-based sector, are crucial for sustainable forest management and engaging future generations. GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 CHAPTER 23 - FORESTRY Almost a quarter of China’s land mass is covered by forests, according to official statistics. The Chinese government has ambitious forest conservation programs and highlights growth in forest stock volume as a prominent climate change goal.1 Most new forest growth in China is in monoculture plantations. The impact of China’s timber and food imports on tropical forests abroad may substantially or completely offset the climate change benefits of China’s domestic forestry programs.2 Background Forests cover large parts of southern China, from Fujian Province in the east to Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces in the west. Forests also cover much of China’s far northeast. There are fewer forests in the densely populated region between Shanghai and Beijing and almost none in the far western provinces of Xinjiang and Tibet. Roughly 23% of China’s territory is covered with forests, according to the Chinese government and United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).3 China’s forest cover has expanded in recent decades, according to Chinese government sources. China’s State Council Information Office reports that 36.3 million hectares of forests were planted from 2016 to 2020.4 NDRC reports that roughly 15 million hectares of forests were planted between 2011 and 2015.5 China’s State Forestry Administration reports that China’s forest cover grew from roughly 13% in 1981 to more than 20% in 2010.6 1 State Council Information Office, Responding to Climate Change: China’s Policies and Actions (October 2021) at Section III-4; NDRC, 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China and Outline of the Vision for 2035 (March 23, 2021) at pp.90-91; People’s Republic of China, China’s Achievements, New Goals and New Measures for Nationally Determined Contributions (October 2021) at p.2. 2 Fangyuan Hua et al., “Tree plantations displacing native forests: The nature and drivers of apparent forest recovery on former croplands in Southwestern China from 2000 to 2015,” Biological Conservation (June 2018); Antje Ahrends et al., “China’s fight to halt tree cover loss,” Royal Society Publishing (October 7, 2017). See section below on Deforestation Abroad. 3 State Council Information Office, Responding to Climate Change: China’s Policies and Actions (October 2021) at Section III-4; U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, Global Forest Resources Assessment-China (accessed July 10, 2022). See generally, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020: Report- China, World Resources Institute, Global Forest Watch—China country summary. 4 State Council Information Office, Responding to Climate Change: China’s Policies and Actions (October 2021) at Section III–4. 5 NDRC, China’s Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (October 2016) at p.20. 6 Antje Ahrends, Peter M. Hollingsworth, Philip Beckschäfer, Huafang Chen, Robert J. Zomer, Lubiao Zhang, Mingcheng Wang and Jianchu Xu, “China’s fight to halt tree cover loss,” Royal Society Publishing (October 7, 2017), citing State Forestry Administration China, 2011 China National Progress Report to the UNFF Secretariat on the implementation of NLBI and other relevant resolutions, Beijing, China: State Forestry Administration China (January 2011). < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 199 GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 Figure 23-1: China’s Forests (2019) Harbin Changchun Ürümqi Shenyang Hohhot Beijing He Tianjin Bo Hai Yinchuan Taiyuan Shijiazhuang g an Jinan Hu Yellow Sea Xining Lanzhou Zhengzhou Xi’an Nanjing Jiang Hefei Shanghai Chang Wuhan East China Sea Lhasa Chengdu Hangzhou Chongqing Nanchang Changsha Chiwei Yu Fuzhou Guiyang Tiaoyu Dao Taipei Natural coniferous forest Kunming Taiwan Dao Natural broad-leaf forest Guangzhou Nanning Natural mixed coniferous Hong Kong and broad-leaf forest Macau Natural bamboo forest South China Sea Haikou Special bushes Hainan Dao River and lake Scale 1 : 33,800,00 Source: National Forestry and Grasslands Administration7 Several academic studies provide similar estimates for the years prior to 2010. A 2016 study by scientists at Michigan State University found that between 2000 and 2010, 1.6% of China’s territory experienced a significant increase in forest cover 7 National Forestry and Grasslands Administration, Forest Resources in China–The Ninth National Forest Inventory (March 2019) at p.1. 200 < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 and 0.38% experienced significant forest loss.8 A 2011 study by scientists at Peking University found that forest cover in China increased an average of roughly 0.5% annually between 1980 and 2010.9 However, at least one source finds that tree cover has declined in China in the past several decades. Global Forest Watch, an online platform that provides forest data, reports that: From 2001 to 2020, China lost 10.9 million hectares of tree cover—a 6.7% decrease— resulting in roughly 4.7 Gt of CO2 emissions (slightly less than half of China’s CO2 emissions last year). From 2013 to 2021, China lost 3.7 million hectares of natural forest—a 2.7% decrease— resulting in roughly 1.5 Gt of CO2 emissions. From 2002 to 2021, China lost 77,300 hectares of humid primary forest—a 4.5% decrease.10 The different estimates may in part be due to different definitions. A 2017 study found that: “If ‘forest’ is defined according to the FAO criteria (including immature and unstocked areas), China’s forest cover gains between 2000 and 2010 were larger than the combined area of Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. If forest is defined according to China’s own criteria…, China has gained an area smaller than size of Germany; and if forest is defined according to what non-specialists would view as forest (contiguous blocs of tall (higher than 5 m) and closed (minimum 50%) crown cover), the detectable gains are smaller than the size of The Netherlands.”11 Data quality may also be a problem. Some studies have found systemic over-reporting of tree cover in China, in part because tree cover goals are included in the performance criteria for many local and provincial officials.12 Monoculture plantations dominate new forest growth in China. One study found that, although tree cover grew 32% in southwest China between 2000 and 2015, all that growth was due to the conversion of croplands to tree plantations. During the same period, native forests in 8 Andrés Viña, William J. McConnell, Hongbo Yang, Zhenci Xu and Jianguo Liu, “Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery,” Science Advances (March 2016). 9 Lei Shi et al., “The Changes in China’s Forests: An Analysis Using the Forest Identity,” PLOS ONE (June 9, 2011). 10 Global Forest Watch—China country summary, World Resources Institute (accessed July 23, 2022). Global Forest Watch defines “tree cover” as “all vegetation greater than 5 meters in height,” which “may take the form of natural forests or plantations across a range of canopy densities.” Global Forest Watch–Tree Cover Loss, World Resources Institute (accessed July 23, 2022) 11 Antje Ahrends, Peter M. Hollingsworth, Philip Beckschäfer, Huafang Chen, Robert J. Zomer, Lubiao Zhang, Mingcheng Wang and Jianchu Xu, “China’s fight to halt tree cover loss,” the Royal Society Publishing (October 7, 2017) at p.7. See also Yan Li et al., Inconsistent estimates of forest cover change in China between 2000 and 2013 from multiple datasets, Scientific Reports (August 2017). 12 Hong Jiang, “Taking Down the ‘Great Green Wall’: The Science and Policy Discourse of Desertification and Its Control in China,” The End of Desertification (2016) at p.528 < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 201 GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 southwest China declined by 6.6%. Monoculture tree plantations provide significantly less carbon storage and biodiversity value than natural forests.13 Policies China’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) gives high prominence to a forest goal. One of the six principal goals in China’s October 2021 NDC is “to increase the forest stock volume by around 6 billion cubic meters from 2005 levels” by 2030. This builds on the forest goal in China’s 2015 NDC—to increase the forest stock volume by around 4.5 billion cubic meters from 2005 levels by 2030. (The 2015 NDC forest goal was achieved in 2019, 11 years ahead of schedule.)14 During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), the Chinese government aims to increase forest cover to 24.1% of the country’s total land area. This builds on the forest cover goal in the 13th Five-Year Plan—to increase forest cover from 21.66% to 23%. The 13th Five-Year Plan forest goal was met in 2020.15 The 14th Five-Year Plan sets goals for the protection and restoration of important ecological zones. Six of these goals relate to forestry.16 (See table below.) Figure 23-2: 14th Five Year Plan Forest Goals Area 14th Five-Year Plan Goals Tibetan Plateau Additional 1 million hectares of land will be protected from desertification; ecological shield zone additional 3.2 million hectares of grassland will be protected from degradation. Yellow River 800,000 hectares of forest and grass vegetation will be restored; additional 2 ecological zone million hectares of land will be protected from soil erosion; 800,000 hectares of land will be protected from desertification. Yangtze River 1.1 million hectares of land will be afforested; additional 5 million hectares ecological zone of land will be protected from soil erosion; 1 million hectares of land will be protected from stony desertification. 13 See Fangyuan Hua et al., “Tree plantations displacing native forests: The nature and drivers of apparent forest recovery on former croplands in Southwestern China from 2000 to 2015,” Biological Conservation (June 2018); Antje Ahrends et al., “China’s fight to halt tree cover loss,” Royal Society Publishing (October 7, 2017); Simon Lewis et al., “Restoring natural forests is the best way to remove atmospheric carbon,” Nature (April 2, 2019). 14 People’s Republic of China, China’s Achievements, New Goals and New Measures for Nationally Determined Contributions (October 2021) at p.2; People’s Republic of China, Enhanced Action on Climate Change: China’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (June 2015) at p.5; Li Keqiang presided over the National Leading Group Meeting on Climate Change, Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction,” (in Chinese) Chinese Government Network (July 11, 2019). “Forest stock volume” is “the sum of the stem volumes of all the living trees” in an area. See Yang Hu et al., “Estimating Forest Stock Volume in Hunan Province, China,” Remote Sensing (January 2020). 15 State Council Information Office, “China’s forest coverage rate to reach 24.1% by 2025” (December 17, 2020); State Council, Work Plan for Controlling Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the 13th Five-Year Plan at 3(D); State Council, Second Biennial Update Report (December 2018) 16 NDRC, 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China and Outline of the Vision for 2035 (in Chinese) (March 23, 2021) at pp.90–91. 202 < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 Northeast forest zone 700,000 hectares of land will be cultivated as potential natural forest; 300,000 hectares of degraded grassland will be improved. Northern 2.2 million hectares of land will be afforested; additional 7.5 million hectares desertification land will be protected from desertification; 2.7 million hectares of grassland prevention zone will be protected from degradation. Southern hilly zone 90,000 hectares of shelter forest will be built; 300,000 hectares of land will be protected from stony desertification. Source: NDRC17 17 NDRC, 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China and Outline of the Vision for 2035 (in Chinese) (March 23, 2021) at pp.90–91. < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 203 GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 Figure 23-3: 14th Five-Year Plan: Major Projects for Protection and Restoration of Important Ecosystems Northeast forest No zone rth ern de ser tific ation zone prevention Yellow River Tibetan plateau ecological zone ecological shield zone Coastal zone Yangtze River ecological zone Key zones Southern hilly zone Yellow River ecological zone Yangtze River ecological zone Tibetan plateau ecological shield zone Coastal zone Key construction projects Source: NDRC18 The Chinese government has extensive domestic forest conservation programs. The largest, known as the Natural Forest Conservation Program, includes large-scale tree-planting, an expansion of forest reserves and a ban on logging in primary forests. From 1998 to 2018, the 18 NDRC, 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China and Outline of the Vision for 2035 (in Chinese) (March 23, 2021) at p.89. 204 < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 central government spent more than RMB 475 billion (roughly $72 billion) on the program.19 Historically, the goal of China’s forest conservation programs included preventing floods and fighting desertification. The Three-North Shelterbelt Program, launched in the late 1970s, is a multidecade program to plant a 4,500-kilometer wall of trees through the Gobi Desert to reduce sandstorms. The National Forest Conservation Program was launched in the wake of the catastrophic Yangtze River floods of 1998. In recent years, the goals of China’s forest conservation programs have expanded to include fighting local air pollution and climate change as well.20 In December 2019, the National People’s Congress revised China’s Forest Law for the first time in 10 years. The amendments banned buying, transporting or processing illegal timber and require processing companies to establish a data record of raw materials and products. Environmental advocates praised the amendments, while saying the impacts would depend on how actively the new provisions are enforced. The amendments also strictly control the logging of natural forests and limit annual harvest volumes.21 Official documents setting forth China’s forest policies include: 1. National Afforestation and Greening Plan (2016–2020)22 2. National Forest Management Plan (2016–2050)23 3. Action Plan for Climate Change in Forestry in the 13th Five-Year Plan24 4. Action Plan for Forestry to Adapt to Climate Change (2016–2020)25 5. 14th Five-Year Plan for Protection and Development of Forestry and Grassland (2021–2025)26 The National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) within the Ministry of Natural Resources has principal responsibility for forest management in China. The NFGA was 19 Hui Wang et al., “China’s Key Forestry Ecological Development Programs,” (in Chinese) Forests (January 2021); Ahrends et al., “China’s fight to halt tree cover loss,” (October 7, 2017); Andrés Viña, William J. McConnell, Hongbo Yang, Zhenci Xu and Jianguo Liu, “Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery,” Science Advances (March 2016). See also Zihao Ma et al., “Cost-Benefit Analysis of China’s Natural Forest Conservation Program,” Journal for Nature Conservation, Vol. 55 (June 2020), 125818. 20 Ahrends et al., “China’s fight to halt tree cover loss,” (October 7, 2017); Miao-miao Li, An-tian Liu, Chunjing Zou, Wen-duo Xu, Hideyuki Shimizu and Kai-yun Wang, “An overview of the ‘Three-North’ Shelterbelt project in China,” Forestry Studies in China (February 2012); Viña et al., “Effects of conservation policy on China’s forest recovery” (March 2016); “Lessons from China on Increasing Forest Cover,” Unravel (March 3, 2021). 21 Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China (December 28, 2019); “China introduces new law to safeguard forests and improve governance,” Client Earth (July 8, 2020); Ashoka Mukpo, “China’s revised forest law could boost efforts to fight illegal logging,” Mongabay (March 19, 2020). 22 State Forestry Administration, National Afforestation and Greening Plan (2016–2020). 23 State Forestry Administration, National Forest Management Plan (2016–2050) (in Chinese). 24 State Forestry Administration, Action Plan for Climate Change in Forestry in the 13th Five-Year Plan (in Chinese). 25 State Forestry Administration, Action Plan for Forestry to Adapt to Climate Change (2016–2020) (in Chinese). 26 National Forestry and Grassland Administration, NDRC, “14th Five-Year Plan for Protection and Development of Forestry and Grassland,” (in Chinese) (July 2021). < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 205 GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 established in 2018 as part of government-wide institutional reforms, assuming the functions and responsibilities of the former State Forestry Administration at that time.27 Several provinces, including Sichuan, Guangdong and Guizhou, have launched pilot carbon sink trading for poverty alleviation programs. Under these programs, poor households can receive compensation for planting and cultivating trees in part for the carbon storage value.28 Sequestration Estimates China’s forest programs sequester significant amounts of carbon. A 2020 study estimated that, between 2020 and 2050, forest vegetation in China will absorb roughly 22% of Chinese CO2 emissions from fossil fuels during the same period.29 A 2018 study that sampled thousands of plots across China found that each year China’s forests sequester carbon equivalent to roughly 5% of the country’s CO2 emissions.30 A 2016 study estimated that carbon storage in China’s forests would reach almost 28 Gt by 2033. (This is equal to roughly nine years of China’s CO2 emissions.)31 A 2015 study estimated that China’s forests had absorbed more than 22 Gt of carbon since 1973. (This is equal to roughly seven years of China’s CO2 emissions.)32 The Chinese government has provided official estimates of the carbon sequestered in land use change and forestry activities combined. In its Second Biennial Update Report submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2018, the Chinese government estimated that 1150 Gt of CO2 (roughly 11% of China’s annual CO2 emissions) were sequestered by land use change and forestry activities in 2014.33 In its First Biennial Update Report submitted to the UN Framework Convention on 27 See “A Brief Account of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration,” National Forestry and Grassland Administration website (accessed September 24, 2022). 28 “Carbon sink trading sheds new light on China’s poverty relief,” XinhuaNet (July 10, 2018). 29 Qiu, Zixuan, Zhongke Feng, Yanni Song, Menglu Li and Panpan Zhang. 2020. “Carbon Sequestration Potential of Forest Vegetation in China from 2003 to 2050,”Journal of Cleaner Production 252 (April 2020). 30 Jingyun Fang et al., “Climate change, human impacts, and carbon sequestration in China,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, April 17, 2018 (163.4 TgC/year of carbon sequestration for the past decade). 1 Tg = 1 Mt; 1 Mt C = 3.67 Mt CO2; 163.4 TgC = 598 Mt CO2. 31 Zhang Xufang. Yang Hongqiang and Zhang Xiaobiao, “Development level and trend in Chinese forestry carbon pools from 1989 to 2033,” Resources Science (February 2016). 28 Gt C = 103 Gt CO2. 32 Lu Ni-ni, Wang Xin-jie, Ling Wei, Xu Xue-lei and Zhang Yan, “Estimation of forest carbon storage in China based on data of National Inventory of Forest Resources,” Journal of Central South University of Forestry & Technology (November 2015). China’s 2018 CO2 emissions = roughly 11 Gt. See Chapter 1–Emissions at note 2. 22 Gt C = 81 Gt CO2,. On C v. CO2, see Joe Romm, “The Biggest Source of Mistakes: C. v. CO2,” Think Progress (March 25, 2008). 33 People’s Republic of China, Second Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (December 2018) at p.16. 206 < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 Climate Change in December 2016, the Chinese government estimated that 576 Gt of CO2 (roughly 6% of China’s annual CO2 emissions) were sequestered by land use change and forestry activities in 2012.34 A 2020 study examined different methods for estimating forest carbon storage in China, finding that better survey data are needed.35 Deforestation Abroad China is the world’s largest timber importer. In 2019, 56% of logs and sawn wood bought in China were imported.36 China’s footprint on tropical forests is especially large. In 2018, roughly two-thirds of the world’s tropical forest logs were exported to China.37 China is also the world’s largest importer of soy and beef, and the world’s second- largest importer of palm oil. Growing global demand for each of these products causes significant tropical deforestation.38 In addition, some Belt and Road Initiative projects are through forested areas, which has led to deforestation.39 From a global perspective, these trends may substantially or completely offset the climate change benefits of China’s domestic forest conservation policies. China’s impacts on tropical forests around the world are especially important with respect to climate change. Tropical deforestation can lead to significant warming, due to both the release of carbon dioxide from vegetation and biophysical effects such as changing the albedo of the Earth’s surface.40 34 People’s Republic of China, First Biennial Update Report on Climate Change (December 2016) at p.22. 35 Sun, Wanlong, and Xuehua Liu, “Review on Carbon Storage Estimation of Forest Ecosystem and Applications in China,” Forest Ecosystems (2020) 36 Zhu Chunquan and Jin Zhonghao, China’s Role in Promoting Global Forest Governance and Combating Deforestation, World Economic Forum (July 2022) at p.6, 12. See generally Steven Lee Myers, “China’s Voracious Appetite for Timber Stokes Fury in Russia and Beyond,” New York Times (April 9, 2019); Bo Li, “2 Ways for China to Play a Bigger Role in Protecting Global Forests,” World Resources Institute (April 17, 2018); Xiufang Sun, Kerstin Canby and Lijun Liu. China’s Logging Ban in Natural Forests, Forest Trends (March 2018). 37 Zhu Chunquan and Jin Zhonghao, China’s Role in Promoting Global Forest Governance and Combating Deforestation, World Economic Forum (July 2022) at p.6. 38 Global Green Value Chains, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (September 2020) at p.7; Pietro Bertazzi and Sabrina Zhang, “Soy: China’s deforestation dilemma,” Carbon Disclosure Project (March 21, 2019); “What Are The Biggest Drivers Of Tropical Deforestation?,” World Wildlife Fund Magazine (Summer 2018); “8 Things To Know About Palm Oil,” World Wildlife Fund website (accessed July 24, 2022). 39 Elizabeth Losos, Alexander Pfaff and Lydia Olander, “The deforestation risks of China’s Belt and Road Initiative,” Brookings (January 28, 2019). 40 Deborah Lawrence et al., “The Unseen Effects of Deforestation: Biophysical Effects on Climate,” Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (March 2022). On China’s forest conservation policies and global deforestation, see generally Zhu Chunquan and Jin Zhonghao, China’s Role in Promoting Global Forest Governance and Combating Deforestation, World Economic Forum (July 2022). < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS 207 GUIDE TO CHINESE CLIMATE POLICY 2022 In September 2020, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), “a high-level international advisory body with the approval of the Government of China,”41 released a report finding that: “The Chinese government could strengthen measures to reduce the import of soft commodities that are illegally harvested or produced in their country of origin. This could build upon a provision regarding the legality of timber in the latest revision of the Forest Law.”42 In 2021, the Chinese government signaled attention to deforestation abroad in several international fora. At the Second EU–China High-Level Environment and Climate Dialogue in September 2021, China and the EU agreed “to engage collaboratively in support of reducing global deforestation through enhancing cooperation in conservation and sustainable management of forests, making supply chains more sustainable, and combating illegal logging and associated trade.”43 At the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in November 2021 (COP26), China signed the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use together with 140 other countries. The Declaration includes a commitment to “halt and reverse forest loss” by 2030.44 Also at COP26, China and the United States issued the Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s, pledging to “engage collaboratively in support of eliminating global illegal deforestation through effectively enforcing their respective laws on banning illegal imports.”45 41 China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development website – About Us (accessed July 24, 2022). 42 Global Green Value Chains, China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (September 2020) at p.vi; 43 Joint Press Communiqué following the Second EU–China High Level Environment and Climate Dialogue (October 10, 2021) at Para. 11. 44 Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration On Forests And Land Use (November 2, 2021). 45 U.S.–China Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s (November 10, 2021) at para.10. 208 < BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS Closing Adaptation Knowledge Gaps in Asia-Pacific UN Climate Change News, 29 November 2023 – In a bid to address critical gaps in adaptation planning and implementation, UN Climate Change and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have joined efforts to close knowledge disparities, at a time when – according to the 2023 UNEP Adaptation Gap Report launched November 2 – adaptation progress appears to be stagnating. The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI), a collaboration between UN Climate Change and UNEP, brings together governments, non-governmental organizations and experts to tackle adaptation knowledge gaps. At the 2023 Asia-Pacific Climate Week, UN Climate Change in partnership with UNEP and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) convened governments, experts and partners to discuss progress, share case studies and highlight concrete actions taken to bridge knowledge gaps in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) and Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) subregions. Integrating Traditional Knowledge into Early Warning Systems In Vanuatu, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) worked with local communities to integrate traditional knowledge into climate information services, developing the Vanuatu Climate Watch App, which combines Indigenous knowledge with meteorological data to enhance the effectiveness of early warning systems. To address the lack of access to early warning systems in Pacific Island countries, graduate students from the University of Michigan conducted a study addressing adaptation knowledge gaps in Samoa and Vanuatu. Under the UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme, they developed recommendations on the use of climate information services, traditional knowledge integration and capacity building to benefit Pacific islands. ICIMOD’s The Green Resilient Agricultural Productive Ecosystems (GRAPE) project in Nepal focuses on improving climate-resilient agriculture, Indigenous crop management and water resource management. Similarly, the “Skill Up!” project empowers marginalized populations, particularly young people, through capacity building and awareness raising to respond to the fact that there is limited access to traditional knowledge on agricultural adaptation. In Bangladesh, the Sustainable Forests and Livelihoods (SUFAL) project repackages baseline data on climate change impacts on forests and biodiversity. By involving communities in forest management and conservation, SUFAL has supported research and knowledge-building efforts, thereby contributing to policy development and the restoration of natural resources using traditional knowledge. "Adaptation is a lifeline; it is what keeps people from losing their livelihoods and losing lives. Therefore, initiatives such as the LAKI in the Pacific SIDS are very relevant in advancing adaptation action by fostering collaboration, including the sharing of knowledge and practices," said Christopher Bartlett, Chief of Climate Diplomacy, Vanuatu. "Our collaborative efforts with partners have resulted in tangible benefits for the HKH subregion, enabling communities to access and apply traditional knowledge in agriculture, make informed decisions about climate change related, agriculture, forest, water and biodiversity conservation policies, amongst others," said Dr. Pem Kandel, Chief Policy Advisor and Interim Strategic Group Lead, ICIMOD. Recommendations and Next Steps The Asia-Pacific Climate Week event laid the groundwork for the future roadmap of the LAKI. Key recommendations include: Repositioning adaptation knowledge to address the full spectrum of adaptation and resilience and ensuring that communities and countries are equipped with relevant knowledge and tools. Building long-term strategic partnerships with sub-regional partners, academia, local communities, and the public and private sectors. Integrating context-specificity in adaptation interventions. Ensuring locally led adaptation solutions through knowledge and capacity enhancement. Integrating Indigenous knowledge into the design of adaptation solutions. Developing partnerships with knowledge brokers, including youth and academia. Promoting gender-responsive approaches to address inequality and technology gaps. Building on the successes and lessons learned in Asia-Pacific, UN Climate Change and UNEP are planning to scale up the LAKI in other subregions to ensure locally led adaptation is prioritized for a sustainable and resilient future. Forestry Cooperation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 2024 Overview of The Sector ASEAN cooperation in forestry was initiated in 1993 on the Ministerial Understanding (MU) on ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry. The backbone of ASEAN cooperation in forestry is sustainable forest management (SFM). Sustainable forest management involves the application of best practices based on current scientific and traditional knowledge that allow multiple objectives and needs to be met without degrading forest resources. It also requires effective and accountable governance and the safeguarding of the rights of forest-dependent peoples. FAO defined sustainable forest management as a “dynamic and evolving concept, which aims to maintain and enhance the economic, social and environmental values of all types of forests, for the benefit of present and future generations”. Considering the above, ASEAN has set up the vision of ASEAN Cooperation in Forestry 2025 of which “Forest resources are sustainably managed at the landscape level to meet societal needs, both socio-economically and culturally, of the present and future generations, and to contribute positively to sustainable development”. Inline with this Vision, ASEAN has identified key areas/priorities which include sustainable forest management, forest law enforcement and governance (FLEG), forest products development, conservation and wildlife enforcement, social forestry and forest and climate change. The goal for the forestry sector in ASEAN is to “enhance sustainable forest management for the continuous production of forest goods and services in a balanced way and ensuring forest protection and biological diversity conservation, as well as optimise their utilisation, compatible with social and ecological sustainability”. Priority Areas of Cooperation Based on the vision and goal of ASEAN Cooperation in Forestry, key priorities of the cooperation are elaborated into five strategic thrusts that includes: Enhancing sustainable forest management Enhancing trade facilitation, economic integration and market access Enhancing the forestry sector resilience and role in climate change Institutional strengthening and human resources development Strengthening ASEAN’s joint approaches on regional and international issues affecting the forestry sector. Strategic Plan of Action for ASEAN Cooperation in Forestry 2016-2026 has been constructed referring to the vision, goal and strategic thrusts that are focusing on supporting policy developments, exchange best practices and experiences, capacity and institutional development as well as partnership. Some activities, program and initiatives have been implemented to achieve the Forestry Vision 2025 such as i) the development of ASEAN Criteria and Indicator for Sustainable Management of Tropical Forest, ii) the development of the Work Plan for Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) Implementation in ASEAN 2016-2025, iii) the development of regional capacity building tools (Regional Community Forestry Participatory Assessment Tool, Regional Agroforestry for Climate Change Resilient Landscape Manual), iv) the development of regional policy tools (e.g. ASEAN Guidelines for Agroforestry Development, ASEAN Guidelines for Detecting and Preventing Wildlife Trafficking, ASEAN Voluntary Code of Conduct on Imports for Forest and Timber Companies). ASEAN has also been actively involved in UNFCCC and UNFF by submitting several joint submissions on the issues that become common concern such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). ASEAN has also developed partnership and collaboration with several dialogue partners and international development partners such as Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Germany, China, Asian Forest Cooperation Organisation (AFoCO) and FAO. Some international institutions such as RECOFT, CIFOR, ICRAF, SEARCA and Non-timber Forest Products-Exchange program have also provided ASEAN with technical expertise. Major Sectoral Bodies/Committees ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) mandated ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) oversee the implementation of ASEAN cooperation in forestry. ASOF is supported by five working groups (subsidiary bodies) namely: 1. ASEAN Working Group on Forest Management (AWG-FM): provides specific policy- oriented research results and policy analysis on sustainable forest management, forest law enforcement and governance. 2. ASEAN Working Group on Forest Products Development (AWG-FPD): provides specific recommendations and policy analysis on trade in forest products and their development including forest certification, enhancing competitiveness of forest products. 3. ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF): provides specific policy recommendations on the effects of social forestry in enhancing sustainable forest management, to enhance welfare and livelihoods of indigenous people, local communities, forest dwellers and other forest-dependent communities. 4. ASEAN Working Group on CITES and Wildlife Enforcement (AWG CITES and WE): provides recommendation on trade in wild fauna and flora and to strengthen networking of the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement, address challenges of transboundary trafficking of wildlife and timber. 5. ASEAN Working Group on Forest and Climate Change (AWG-FCC): provides specific recommendation on forest and climate change especially related to the effort to reduce emissions and strategy in adaptation and mitigation from forestry sector. Year of establish- Name ment Function ASEAN 1998 1. Respond to emerging issues on trade in forest products; Working Group on 2. Enhance ASEAN cooperation in forest products development and the Forest alignment of national standards and testing protocols in accordance Products with International Standard; Development 3. Enhance intra- and extra-ASEAN trade and competitiveness of ASEAN forest products including through inter-alia timber certification; 4. Support the development of medicinal and aromatic plant industries, including their conservation and sustainable use; 5. Promote cooperation with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, regional and international organisations and the private sector in marketing and image building for ASEAN forest products. ASEAN 2005 1. Respond to emerging issues on trade in wild fauna and flora; Working Group on 2. Strengthen law enforcement and support good governance in CITES and combating illegal trade in wild fauna and flora, Wildlife 3. Promote networking amongst relevant law enforcement authorities in Enforcement AMS to curb illegal trade in wild fauna and flora; 4. Coordinate regional response to illegal trade in protected species that threatens biological diversity, endangers public health, and undermines economic well-being; 5. Encourage industry groups, trade associations and traders, and local communities to comply with legality and sustainability requirements of CITES and national legislation and regulations on trade in wild fauna and flora; and 6. Increase capacity building, and support co-ordination and resources to combat illicit trafficking and illegal trade in wild fauna and flora throughout the region. ASEAN 2005 1. Respond to emerging issues on forest management; Working Group on 2. Enhance sustainable management of forest resources, including forest Forest protection and biological diversity conservation, that are compatible Management with social and ecological sustainability; 3. Combat illegal forest harvesting and its associated trade in timber and timber products through FLEG; 4. Adopt and articulate ASEAN common positions and influence the

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