UNFF14 Issue Brief April 2019

Riccardo Gangale | International Forest Photo contest

Forests and climate change

Introduction

Forests play a key role in regulating the Conversely, deforestation contributes to Given the importance of forests to global climate, most importantly through climate change. When forests are burned climate change, both as carbon sinks and capturing carbon dioxide from the or cleared for uses such as cropland, sources of emissions, it has long been atmosphere and storing it in biomass and pasture, infrastructure or urbanisation, recognised that some form of measuring forest soils. In 2016, forests absorbed the net flow of carbon from the and accounting for changes should be about 27 per cent of the carbon dioxide atmosphere into the forest ends, both in included in the international climate emitted by fossil fuels and industry, the present and for the entire projected agreements. In practice, reporting though at the same time, land-use change future lifetime of the trees. Deforestation changes in emissions and removals from – primarily forest clearance for also causes the release of the stock of land use, land use change and forestry agriculture – accounted for about 12 per carbon that has accumulated, both in the (LULUCF) and accounting for them cent of total climate-forcing emissions. As trees themselves and in the forest soil. against national targets is challenging. the largest storehouse of carbon after the Article 5 of the Paris Agreement Forests also affect climate systems oceans, forests have the potential to encourages parties to pursue various through regulating atmospheric moisture absorb and store about one tenth of the and rainfall patterns and, consequently, actions in regards to forests, and most of global anthropogenic carbon emissions the Nationally Determined Contributions local temperatures and fresh water flows. projected for the first half of this century (NDCs) published to date include Forests are themselves affected by into their biomass, soils and products. climate change, mainly through the commitments such as It has been estimated that since 1750, increased frequency and/or intensity of afforestation/reforestation, forest management and a reduction in forests (and other vegetation, but mainly natural disturbances such as fires, deforestation. At the global level, the forests) have been responsible for about droughts, storms, insect infestation and half of the carbon emissions naturally disease. This is only partly offset by faster LULUCF sector is expected to contribute as much as 20 per cent of the full sequestered from the atmosphere; the tree growth due to elevated atmospheric mitigation potential of all the conditional rest has been absorbed by the oceans. carbon dioxide and nitrogen levels, which and unconditional NDC targets. Together, forests and oceans form a may be in any case be limited by the natural buffer against climate change. availability of water or nutrients. UNFF14 Issue Brief | # 1 – FORESTS AND SDG 13 Options also include promoting the Key policies and measures include the sustainable management of existing following: forests – though managing forests to maximise carbon uptake and carbon ▪ Agreement on consistent means of storage is not necessarily the same as measuring and accounting for SFM techniques used to maximise changes in forest-related production for high-quality commercial greenhouse gas emissions and sinks wood products, which is the context in and distinguishing between which they are normally applied. anthropogenic actions and natural Alongside reducing the pressures on impacts, together with investment in forests, measures can also be taken to the capacity to measure these

increase the area of forest cover and, changes. therefore, the global carbon sink. Many Reducing greenhouse reforestation and afforestation initiatives ▪ Encouragement for countries to gas emissions from are currently under way, particularly in commit to voluntary national China, which is home to more than a forests world-wide can contributions aimed at achieving the quarter of the world’s total planted UNSPF Global Forest Goals and forest. There are dangers, though, in play a highly significant targets, alongside their poorly designed initiatives, and attention role in combatting global is increasingly turning to forest commitments under the Paris ecosystem restoration, restoring Agreement. climate change. degraded natural forest cover and ▪ Measures aimed at reducing current promoting the expansion of natural Estimates of the total mitigation potential forests. rates of deforestation and of forest-related mitigation options vary degradation, including measures substantially, ranging up to about 14–15 All these measures can be encouraged by designed to reduce pressures from GtCO2e per year (compared to total increasing the use of sustainably conversion to agriculture global emissions, in 2017, of 53.5 produced wood products, replacing, for (particularly illegal conversion). GtCO2e). Over the last ten years, example, construction products attention, and financing, has focused manufactured from greenhouse-gas- ▪ The research and promotion of mainly on the REDD+ process. Designed intensive materials such as concrete or means of sustainable forest as a performance-based mechanism, brick, metals or plastics. The use of wood management designed to maximise encouraging countries to reduce to generate power and heat can in theory carbon storage in forests. emissions from deforestation and forest also add value to forests, though current degradation through creating a financial support policies are increasingly being ▪ Support for reforestation and value for the carbon stored in forests, questioned as possibly leading to afforestation initiatives, focusing on REDD+ has proved challenging in practice increases in atmospheric carbon, at least holistic approaches to natural forest to implement, and most financial support in the short and medium term. has been devoted so far to ‘readiness’ landscape and ecosystem activities and initial investments; The full implementation of an ambitious restoration, sensitive to local performance-based payments at a range of policy options – including halting conditions and local communities. national or sub-national level remain deforestation and forest degradation, ▪ Measures to promote the limited. promoting sustainable forest management, increasing the area of sustainable production and Many other forest-related mitigation forests through reforestation, consumption of long-lived forest options are available. These include afforestation and forest landscape products, in construction and other reducing pressures on forests through restoration and increasing the value of uses. focusing on the drivers of deforestation forests through expanding markets for – chiefly agriculture, the main global wood products – could lead to a Unlike many other climate mitigation driver of forest clearance for at least the reduction in emissions of an estimated 15 options, these measures do not require last two decades. Increasing numbers of GtCO2e a year by 2050, potentially closing any invention or commercialisation of governments and companies are the current ‘emissions gap’, at least to the new technologies, and are also not likely adopting zero-deforestation level needed to keep global warming to be expensive, compared to many other commitments, investing in developing below 2˚C. mitigation options. agricultural techniques which eliminate or minimise deforestation from supply chains, and exploring measures to reduce the demand for forest risk commodities.

UNFF14 Issue Brief | # 1 – FORESTS AND SDG 13 Forests can help societies adapt to climate variability and change, providing ecosystem services that can significantly reduce social vulnerability

Forests can help societies adapt to climate variability and change in several ways, providing ecosystem services that can significantly reduce social vulnerability.

Forests themselves will need to be assisted to adapt to the impacts of climate change, through measures that either increase their resistance and resilience or facilitate ecosystem shift or Two prerequisites: Key measures include: evolution towards a new state that meets the new conditions. adequate sources of ▪ A significant increase in financial support for forest-related mitigation Implementing forest-related climate funding and adequate activities, and a commensurate adaptation measures, however, is in standards of governance increase in funding for forest some ways a more difficult challenge than adaptation activities. mitigation efforts; it is best addressed at The provision of adequate sources of the local level, with organisations, funding is one of two prerequisites for the ▪ Support for improvements in forest communities, businesses, households successful implementation of all the governance and law enforcement, and individuals considering their future activities described above. including in particular the climate risks and the benefits and costs of clarification of land tenure and different risk management options. At just over 1 per cent of global access rights and support for mitigation-related development funding, Key policies and measures include: current financing for forests is highly community land and forest management. ▪ Ecosystem-based adaptation disproportionate to both the investment needs and the mitigation potential of the strategies designed to target the Although progress is being made in many forest sector, and is dwarfed by financial conservation or restoration of countries, it is not yet sufficient. The flows to the land sector – mainly for Global Forest Goals of the UN Strategic specific ecosystem services that are agriculture – that influence forests but Plan for Forests set out a clear direction crucial for societal adaptation in a are not aligned with forest and climate for forest-related mitigation and particular region. goals. adaptation options. If nations fail to meet ▪ Strategies to assist forests to adapt The second prerequisite is ensuring them, the overall cost of climate mitigation efforts will rise, global to the impacts of climate change, adequate standards of governance and warming will take longer to limit, and the through measures that either law enforcement. Measures to address these problems need to include not only impacts of climate change will be more increase their resistance and legal and policy reform and severe. resilience or facilitate ecosystem improvements in law enforcement but shift or evolution towards a new also secured land rights for forest state that meets the new conditions. communities.

UNFF14 Issue Brief | # 1 – FORESTS AND SDG 13

Rahmat Rahim Nur | International Forest Photo contest

About this UNFF14 Issue Brief

The UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a At its 13th session in 2018, the Forum The issue brief is derived from the functional commission of the UN requested the UNFF Secretariat to background analytical study on Forests Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) prepare background analytical studies on and Climate Change by Duncan Brack. with universal membership. The Forum is the contribution of forests to other Goals composed of all Member States of the under review by the High-level Political The full text of the study is available at United Nations and Member States of Forum on Sustainable Development in https://www.un.org/esa/forests/wp- specialized agencies. 2019, for consideration by the Forum at content/uploads/2019/03/UNFF14- its fourteenth session BkgdStudy-SDG13-March2019.pdf Since its inception in 2000, the Forum has reached numerous milestones including Accordingly, the UN Forum on Forests The views and opinions expressed herein agreement on the first United Nations Secretariat commissioned three are those of the authors and do not Forest Instrument in 2007, establishment background analytical studies, in necessarily reflect those of the United of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation consultation with the Bureau of the Nations Secretariat. The designations and Network (GFFFN) in 2015, and agreement fourteenth session of the Forum, taking terminology employed may not conform on the first United Nations Strategic Plan into account the thematic priorities of the to United Nations practice and do not for Forests 2030 in 2017. fourteenth session of the Forum. imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the The UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, in The three studies are on: (a) Forests and Organization the UN Department of Economic and climate change; (b) Forests, inclusive and Social Affairs provides substantive sustainable economic growth and . support to the Forum, prepares technical employment; and (c) Forests, peaceful reports and analytical studies, and fosters and inclusive societies, reduced dialogue to enhance cooperation and inequality and inclusive institutions at all coordination on forest issues. levels.

UN FORUM ON FORESTS SECRETARIAT: www.un.org/esa/forests | [email protected]