Concept Paper: Initiative on Forests and Climate

The Forests Dialogue (TFD) is developing a new initiative on forests and climate.
Through this process stakeholders within the broader forest community can identify
and address the complex emerging issues of forests as an integrated part of the
climate solution. This initiative is a result of an initial scoping dialogue held in Bali,
Dec 2007 in line with the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change
COP 13. The primary outcome of this scoping dialogue was a commitment that TFD
would provide a platform for the broad forests community via which it can raise
stakeholder awareness and understanding while identifying potential roles and
contribution of different actors. In addition, this dialogue will bring stakeholders
together to collectively and pro-actively discuss the potential for the comprehensive
treatment of forests and forest resources within international climate policy
negotiations, over the course of the next two years.

The acceptance of the important role of forests in combating climate change provides
significant opportunity for the forest sector to play an influential role within
international climate policy negotiations, both under the UN’s Framework Convention
on Climate Change and associated Protocols, and in relation to the emerging
voluntary market for forest based carbon offsets. For the maximum potential to be
gained from this opportunity requires an increased understanding and involvement
from all segments of the forest community. This process involves a number of steps,
beginning with increasing stakeholder awareness, participation and collaboration. TFD
aims to initiate such a process.