As the Forest Stewardship Council and its supporters celebrate its international name day, FSC Friday on 24 September, FSC reconfirms its support for international climate change initiatives and highlights the important contribution responsible forestry makes to these efforts. Source: Timberbiz
Forests play an essential role in climate regulation. Together with oceans, forests are the key ecosystems the planet uses to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) – the most important greenhouse gas – from the atmosphere.
Nearly 2.6 billion tonnes, or one-third of all CO2 released from fossil fuels are absorbed by forests every year. Even with forestry operations and processing, forests function as net-removers of CO2.
The Paris Agreement (COP 21) highlighted the importance of forests in responding to climate change calling on all countries to conserve carbon sinks in forests.
Bearing in mind an average hardwood tree can store as much as 21kgs of CO2 every year, forests’ role in helping stabilise the climate cannot be overstated.
Halting the loss and degradation of natural systems such as forests, and promoting their restoration, have the potential to contribute over one-third of efforts to mitigate climate change.
In addition, 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livelihood, forest products accounts for US$ 244 billion in international trade. Forests are also home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.
FSC’s standards play an important role in maintaining forest cover, preventing deforestation and forest degradation, which are vital elements in the global climate change agenda.
FSC believes in the importance of nurturing responsible forestry to protect healthy and resilient forests that sustain life on earth. Therefore, it designed FSC-specific ecosystem services claims. Showing the full value of forest ecosystems by measuring the full impact of excellent forest management practices and fostering partnerships that reward them, is fundamental to climate action and sustainability.
Ecosystem services claims provide nature-based information through the measurement of impacts such as carbon sequestration and storage, biodiversity conservation, watershed services, soil conservation and recreational services.
FSC believes markets should work for the ecosystems they are part of, and the ecosystem services claims are the tool to show the true value of forests to markets. With them, FSC connects forest stewards and committed stakeholders fostering partnerships that promote the protection of ecosystems.
