NGO Statement on Climate Change and Forest Issues

To the Attention of:

Mr. Hiroshi Ohki, President, COP3

Mr. Raul Estrada Oyuela, Chair, Committee of the Whole

Global deforestation is and has been a major source of CO2 emissions contributing to global warming. Recent widespread forest fires in Indonesia have also resulted in massive emissions of CO2. It is predicted that global warming will cause major damage to forest ecosystems, and that the resulting forest destruction will become a further source of CO2 emissions, exacerbating gloval warming. Though forests and global warming are closely interrelated in this manner, it cannot be said that the issue of deforestation is being dealt with adequately in the current debate on global warming.

Halting deforestation, which is a source of CO2 emissions, and promoting sustainable and effective use of forest resources are among the measures for counteracting global warming. Thus, measures to counteract global deforestation need to be dealt with under the Framework Convention on Climate Change. Early and comprehensive measures to prevent global warmings are also needed to prevent the impact of global warming on forest ecosystems.

The role of forests as a CO2 sink is receiving much attention. However, it is highly possible that afforestation by joint implementation or other means may not only destroy local ecosystems but also deprive local residents of their basis of livelihood. The global warming prevention meaasures which should be given priority are a reduction in use of fossil fules, and the conservation of existing forests. Any afforestation to be carried out in developing countries by developed countries as an additional measure to counteract global warming should be carried out on the basis of the consent of local residents, in the form of assistance as stipulated in the Convention rather than Joint Implementation.

For the above reasons, we assert the following three points:

1. We proposes that a decision regarding measures to counteract global deforessation be confirmed as an agenda to be addressed under the Framework Convention on Climate Change after the conclusion of COP3.

2. We support a CO2 emissions reduction target of 20% from 1990 levels by 2005 for Annex-I countries in the Kyoto Protocol, in order to also prevent the negative impact of global warming on forest ecosystems.

3. We oppose the "net approach" where by net emissions are counted by substracting the amount of CO2 absorbed by forests from CO2 emissions due to fossil fuels. Furthermore, Joint Implementation should not be hurriedly introduced until methods for its evaluation are established.

Endorced by:

Better Later Than Never Environment Group-Catholic Network

Friends of the Earth-Kanazawa

Hutan Group

Japan Childrens' Jungle

Japan NGO Network on Indonesia

Japan Rainforest Protection Lawyers League

Japan Tropical Forest Action Network

Japan Tropical Forest Action Network-Shizuoka

Japan Tropical Forest Action Network-Nagoya

Monitors for Forest Kanagawa

Rainforest Action Network(USA)

Rainforest Information Center(Australia)

Sarawak Campaign Committee

Save the Rainforest-Chiba Action Group

Tokushima Tropical Forest Issues Institute

Tropical Forest-Kyoto

Note: Some of the above are literal translations of Japanese names, and mayd iffer from the official English names of the organizations.

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