SCOPE
Member States have agreed that forests are of essential importance in the transition to a green economy and to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, assigning a value to forests as natural capital and the environmental and social services provided by forests, which could help assess the role of forests in the transition, remains a major challenge. Over time a range of approaches to assess the value of natural capital and ecosystem services in general have been developed and those that are applicable to forests could be useful as a basis for measuring the implementation of activities of the Rovaniemi Action Plan for the Forest Sector in a Green Economy.
AGENDA
The event featured:
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Why it is important to carry out this work in the context of the transition to a green economy in the pan European region and the implementation of the Rovaniemi Action Plan as well as the 2030 Agenda;
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Overview of existing definitions related to the green economy;
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Taking stock of internationally developed natural capital and ecosystem services valuation methodologies and assessment methodologies to measure progress in the transition to an inclusive green economy;
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Examples of existing measurement methods at sectoral and national levels;
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Discussion on synergies between green economy and forest sector assessment methodologies.
OBJECTIVE
The workshop was addressed to experts from the forest sector as well as economists working on green growth and green economy, who deal with questions related to natural capital and ecosystem services valuation. Speakers included specialists involved in those topics from governments and international organizations. Delegates were invited to contribute by highlighting green economy and forest sector assessment methods developed in their countries.
The outcomes of the discussion aimed to contribute to increase synergies between the valuation of environmental and social services provided by forests, as developed by the forest sector and the international work on valuing natural capital and ecosystem services and measuring green economy/green growth.
For more information about the event please contact the secretariat.
The pictures of the event can be found on the UNECE-FAO flickr account.