Today is the United Nations’ International Day of Forests. Today, we honor the efforts of forest guardians, the tropical forest jurisdictions of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCFTF), and the world’s incredible forests themselves.
Members and partners of the GCFTF are striving to co-create a New Forest Economy that protects intact forests, restores degraded lands, and creates jobs and economic opportunities for the millions of people who live in these forests. Without this new forest economy, the world’s tropical forests will not survive and entire regions will face ecological collapse.
We invite you to join us for our upcoming Annual Meeting in Acre, Brazil from May 19-23 to come together in the land of Chico Mendes to develop partnerships and financing mechanisms to drive sustainable investment into forest protection.
The efforts of state and provincial members of the GCFTF, together with Indigenous and local community partners, are vital in this mission. A recent assessment from the United Nations Development Program found that:
“When it comes to climate action, initiatives to support subnational governments have received far less attention than those at the national level. Yet the subnational level is where decisions on forests and land use are often made and at a scale closer to the communities that live in and depend on forests, particularly Indigenous Peoples. When done well, actions at this level can have significant impact on the ground. Subnational governments can incubate and innovate, testing new ideas to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Subnational actions (and eventual emissions reductions) can feed into a national-level process that ultimately contributes to national climate targets, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).”
From the fruits of the Peruvian Amazon to community-managed forests of Indonesia to the giant sequoia of California, our forests are essential to life, livelihoods, and our planet. In order to protect these forests, we know we urgently need faster, more efficient, and more flexible funding mechanisms to build a New Forest Economy. The GCFTF has proposed bold strategies and ideas, and we need bold, innovative partnerships to make them happen. Come partner with us to celebrate and protect our forests!