Shannon Barrett is the new Advancement Director at Dogwood Alliance. “One of the things that really attracted me to the position is the thoughtfulness that’s gone into planning where Dogwood goes next,” she explains, adding that it is a very exciting time for Dogwood because the organization is poised to go to the next level.
So, how is it that utility companies in Europe can get away with claiming offsets without having to verify and validate those claims? Why are they not held to the same globally-recognized set of standards as everyone else? Why do they get to take credit today for an offset that is not likely to accrue for decades into the future, if it even happens at all? Where is the legally-binding agreement to keep the carbon stored in the forest for 100+ years? And, perhaps most disturbing of all, how are the utility companies taking credit for (and reaping the value of) the carbon stored in someone else’s forests without paying the forest owners? This double standard is beyond troublesome.
It’s encouraging to see forests emerge as a major point of focus with the release of the New York Declaration on Forests. Since launching the Our Forests Aren’t Fuel campaign last year, I have been scratching my head in disbelief about the contradiction that exists when it comes to global forest climate policies. Over recent years, there has been a suite of initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions from forest loss and degradation, which admittedly accounts for 20% of global carbon emissions. As part of the New York Declaration of Forests, three European nations – UK, Norway and Germany – announced increased global funding for reducing deforestation and increasing forest conservation.
Why are emissions reduction decisions being made in the real world based on a financial framework at a fraction of the cost of the actual value and real world benefit of carbon? Why are decisions concerning the forests of the South, the lungs of the nation, being made at the fraction of the true cost of carbon?
Held every three years, the General Assembly is an exercise in direct democracy where FSC’s members gather in support of the FSC’s noble idea to bring together social, environmental and economic interests into one system for the responsible management of the world’s forests. The General Assembly played out like a compelling novel; savvy business leaders sitting down with environmental activists, labor unionists from around the globe sharing coffee, leaders of Indigenous peoples from the tropics dialoging with FSC officials.
