Forestry Press Releases
Displaying Results 76 - 100 of 126
Forests are ' natural' suppliers to a green economy. The sustainability of wood as a material is proven; the ecological functions and ecosystem services that they provide are undeniable. The challenge for countries is how to enhance this contribution, while strengthening the sustainability of
On 22 May, to celebrate the International Day of Biodiversity, the Acting Director General of UNOG and Acting Executive Secretary of UNECE, Mr. Michael Møller, buried a bottle containing a message to future generations under a tree, in the garden of the Palais. When the tree dies in 300 years,
An old forester tradition is to bury a message for future generations underneath the roots when a tree is planted. The message will lie there for decades—maybe centuries—until a future generation finds it. The message becomes a time capsule for posterity that bears reflections, hopes, and wishes
In 1958 Charles David Keeling began collecting carbon dioxide samples that became the basis for the first graph describing the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the Keeling Curve. This is the most known story. The less known story is that the Keeling Curve also shows the universal
The joint UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section, has been requested by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of Kazakhstan to assist its Committee of Forestry and Hunting to support the elaboration of its forestry development programme and action plan, with a view to enhance its
Forests for fashion – Fashion for Forests, on 21 March, was an event held to celebrate and advocate the linkages between sustainable fashion and sustainable forest management, and was organized by UNECE/FAO on the occasion of the International Day of Forests. Forests and fashion are related in
Sustainable development is high on the United Nations agenda, but unfortunately, still a low priority in people’s lives, and very often not a principle driving business. Promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns calls not only for political will and commitment, but also for
On 6 February, UNECE confirmed its commitment to its work on forests in partnership with FAO in the region, with the Executive Committee’s decision to approve the UNECE-FAO Integrated Programme of Work on forests for the period 2014-17. The UNECE-FAO Integrated Programme of Work is a very
At Metsä2013, the joint session of the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and the FAO European Forestry Commission, representatives of numerous forest sector stakeholders met to consider market and policy developments in wood and non-wood forest products across the UNECE region.
The Rovaniemi Action Plan – a milestone for a sustainable forest sector Rovaniemi, 11 December 2013 - The Rovaniemi Action Plan for the Forest Sector in a Green Economy was adopted today by the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry (COFFI) and the FAO European
Three UN agencies called today upon governments to consider scaling up payments to European forest owners for serving as stewards for these valuable resources, although they said such payments should be complementary to government legislation, regulation or democratic accountability. During
Santa Claus appointed Ambassador for European Forests – European forest week opensEuropean countries are encouraged to apply the principles of a green economy in the forest sector by 2020, FAO and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) said today at the opening of the European
Information released today in the UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review 2012-2013 show that the changes in forest product consumption in the UNECE region are strongly connected to the developments in the building sector. Summary of apparent consumption of key forest products in the
The Finnish capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi, “home of Santa Claus”, was nominated “official city of the 2013 European Forest Week” on 4 November. It was selected by the 15 partners who launched the European Forest Week earlier this year, as it will also be hosting Metsä2013 – the joint session of
Assessing the health and wealth of the natural capital has always gone hand in hand with planning for resource management and use. Since the creation of the United Nations, the Economic Commission for Europe and the Food and Agriculture Organization have worked together to monitor forest
A healthy forest sector has a key role to play in “greening” the economy, the outcome document “The Future We Want” of the United Nations Rio+20 Conference says. Wood products can substitute for more carbon-intensive and non-renewable materials. Forests prevent environmental degradation due to
Russia has more than a fifth of the world's forests, which makes it the largest forest country in the world. However, the considerable potential of Russian forests is underutilized and Russia's share of the global trade in forest products is less than four percent. Referring to ongoing
Overall wood energy accounts for 3.4% of the total primary energy supply and 38.9% of the renewable energy supply in 27 UNECE member countries[1] in 2011, confirming its role as the leading source of renewable energy. And around 40% of all mobilized woody biomass supply is used for energy
It’s nothing less than astounding to see the many ways that wood is being used today. Who would imagine that wood products are used in things like beauty products, gels for back pain, hip replacement material, and spacecraft? A group of experts gathered on 22 April
As part of the review of its work, the Economic Commission for Europe has changed the name of the Timber Committee to “Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry” in order to better reflect the Committee’s current focus and tasks. Through a joint programme with the European Forestry Commission
2013 is a special year for forests, with many activities and initiatives underway to recognize and strengthen the important role forests play in our lives. The 21st of March will mark the first ever official International Day of Forests and the Tree, as declared in November 2012 by the General
The European Forest Week (9-13 December 2013) will be celebrated with events in Rovaniemi Finland at Metsä2013 (joint meeting of the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission), and throughout Europe via a variety of events. The week will highlight the contribution of
The trends towards creating a sustainable economy represent a bright spot for the future of forests. The trends towards increased use of wood for construction and other uses of wood through innovation of new and improved products, the potential of wood energy, the sustainability of wood and its
A green economy must be based on natural, environmentally sound and sustainable materials and goods. For this, wood is surely the ideal candidate. It’s a renewable material, and products made from it store carbon. Through forest products, forests, as well as sequestering carbon, also play a
An event organized by UNECE in cooperation with FAO, WHAT IS YOUR PRIORITY ACTION FOR THE FOREST SECTOR TO SHOW THE WAY TOWARDS A GREEN ECONOMY? was held today in Rio de Janeiro to discuss priority actions for the forest sector in a green economy.In his opening statement, Mr. Sven Alkalaj, UNECE