The Third Mountain Futures Conference

Mountain Communities in the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

Mountain Futures is a global initiative, which aims to promote the well-being of people in the mountains, enhance the diversity, stability and sustainability of ecosystems, and construct and share green mountain development solutions.

The United Nations declared 2022 the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development to increase awareness of the importance of sustainable mountain development, and the conservation and sustainable use of mountain ecosystems. To that end, the third Mountain Futures Conference will revolve around the core values and concepts of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity –  Ecological Civilization: Building a Community of Life on Earth.

The conference will focus on four thematic areas of scientific exploration, ecological restoration, indigenous wisdom, and future living. The agenda will include a visit to an ecological site, art exhibition and poster exhibition.

Chinese and English simultaneous interpretation will be available for both onsite and online participants.

Mountain Futures is led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and is jointly sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Mountain Partnership, the World Agroforestry (ICRAF) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The first and the second Mountain Futures Conferences were held in March 2016 and June 2018, respectively.

 

Event website

Array ( [0] => Africa/Abidjan )

Learning challenge: Investor marketplace

Join the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) online Community of Practice (CoP) on Local Finance for Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) for the session on the “Investor marketplace” on 16 March 2023, 10:00-11:10 CET, by registering here.

As the final session of the third learning challenge of the CoP on Local Finance for FLR, entitled “Private sector engagement and development of bankable business plans”, participants can expect three private sector investors to share an overview of their funds and mechanisms. Attendees will also have the opportunity to discuss their bankable solutions and develop further connections to take forward through this virtual world cafe event.

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Array ( [0] => Europe/Budapest )

Learning challenge: e-Course spotlight on building bankable business plans

The Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) online Community of Practice (CoP) on Local Finance for Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) welcomes your participate in the self-paced e-learning spotlight on “Building bankable business plans” on 10 March 2023. Please register here to attend the session.

For the third week of the third learning challenge of the CoP on Local Finance for FLR called “Private sector engagement and development of bankable business plans”, this session will showcase of the new FAO e-learning course on developing bankable business plans (BBP).

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Array ( [0] => Europe/Budapest )

Learning challenge: Masterclass on building bankable business plans

Attend the masterclass “Building bankable business plans” with the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) online Community of Practice (CoP) on Local Finance for Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) on 9 March 2023, 12:00-13:30 CET, by registering here.

Following the session diving into stakeholder mapping for the third learning challenge of the CoP on Local Finance for FLR, entitled “Private sector engagement and development of bankable business plans”, this session will include speakers Marco Boscolo of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Florian Vernaz of the Landscape Finance Lab.

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Array ( [0] => Europe/Budapest )

Learning challenge: Deep dive into stakeholder mapping

Join the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) online Community of Practice (CoP) on Local Finance for Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) for a deep dive in “Stakeholder mapping: Identifying private sector investment” on 2 March 2023, 13:00-14:00 CET. Please register here to partake in the session.

For the second week of the third learning challenge of the CoP on Local Finance for FLR called “Private sector engagement and development of bankable business plans”, this session will introduce private sector actors with speaker Florian Vernaz of the Landscape Finance Lab.

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Array ( [0] => Europe/Budapest )

Learning challenge: Webinar introduction to the role of the private sector in the landscape

The Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) online Community of Practice (CoP) on Local Finance for Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) invites you to partake in the live webinar introducing the “Role of the private sector in the landscape” on 28 February 2023, 13:00-14:00 CET. Please register here to attend the session.

This webinar will kick off the third learning challenge of the CoP on Local Finance for FLR, entitled “Private sector engagement and development of bankable business plans”, as the first session of the series. The entire learning challenge will be hosted live in English with French translation from 28 February to 16 March 2023.

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Array ( [0] => Europe/Budapest )

Open Innovation Challenge Webinar

Join us at the Open Innovation Challenge Webinar on 2 February 2023 at 10:00 CET. The webinar intends to engage with anyone interested in applying for the Open Innovation Challenge by providing valuable insights on how to apply, the documents needed, grants, and benefits.

During the webinar, we will discuss how to apply for the competition and what the benefits are for the solution providers. Check out the agenda:

  • 10:00–10:15 | Introduction: Bioregions Facility and Open Innovation Challenge
  • 10:15–10:25 | What are the themes of the OIC
  • 10:25–10:45 | Process, document, and timeline
  • 10:45–10:55 | Q&A
  • 10:55–11:00 | Conclusion

Register here!

If you have any questions, please email bioregions@efi.int, and we might answer your question at the webinar.

The Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) calls for innovative bioeconomy solutions. Start-ups, companies, organizations and universities are welcome to apply and present their innovative solutions – at any stage of development.

Learn more here.

Array ( [0] => Europe/Luxembourg )

Webinar series: Smallholder Planted Forests and Trees for Climate, Restored Landscapes, and Livelihoods

The Yale Forest Forum is excited to announce the next speaker series for spring 2023, taking place on TuesdaysJanuary 17 – April 25th from 12:00 – 1:00 pm US ET. Hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment(link is external) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Smallholder Planted Forests and Trees for Climate, Restored Landscapes, and Livelihoods

Planted forests, defined as forests that at maturity are predominantly composed of trees established through planting and/or deliberate seeding[i] represent 7 percent of global forest area[ii]. While the world’s natural forests are shrinking, with 420 million ha of forest lost through deforestation over the last 30 years[iii], the surface of planted forests is continuously expanding. Planted forests and trees outside of forests e.g., woodlots, fruit trees, hedgerows, etc. harbor an untapped potential to fulfill future needs through area expansion and productivity increases in existing planted forests[iv].

A significant portion of planted forests and trees outside forests are owned and/or managed by smallholders. Smallholder forestry usually takes place on land privately owned by non-industrial stakeholders. While smallholder forestry has a long history in Western Europe and North America, it has rapidly expanded in recent years to other parts of the globe[v]. Between 1990 and 2005, the area under smallholder ownership has increased three-fold[vi] and by 2005, smallholders owned 26% of planted forests globally[vii], largely exceeding planted forest area under corporate ownership. Furthermore, planted forests managed for productive functions made up 32% of all global planted forest area[viii].

Despite these increases, smallholders face technical, commercial, policy, and institutional challenges that hamper their performance, negatively impact their returns on investment, and ultimately affect their long-term viability. As reported by FAO[ix], smallholders have driven the dramatic expansion of tree plantations worldwide in the recent past and this trend may reverse if smallholders are forced to change from forestry to another land use.

This webinar series will focus on ways to harness the potential of smallholder planted forests and trees to contribute to the provision of environmental services, including addressing climate change, and livelihoods. It will primarily focus on the following questions:

  • What are the key success factors in the establishment and management of planted forests and trees outside forests by smallholders?
  • Which management objectives do smallholders pursue and how are they implemented according to business best-practices?
  • What are the operational risks, financial risks, and vulnerabilities smallholders face related to quickly evolving markets and a changing climate?
  • Which models and practices are most promising?
  • Which opportunities and business models arise from the transition towards carbon-neutral economies and the global momentum for ecosystem restoration?
  • What can be done to support smallholders? (i.e., policy, producers’ organizations, etc.

Join us every Tuesday from January 17 – April 25 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm U.S. ET.

Note there will be no webinar on March 14 and March 21.

 

Click here to register

Register once to attend all webinars and view the recordings.

Array ( [0] => America/New_York )

2nd Forest Restoration Talk with Bart Muys: “Biodiversity as a key asset for forest restoration in Europe”

You are invited to join our new “Monthly Forest Restoration Talks”, hosted by SUPERB in partnership with IUFRO‘s Task Force ‘Transforming Forest Landscapes for Future Climates and Human Well-Being’.

Targeting researchers, practitioners, NGOs, policy makers and other interested stakeholders, the webinar series will investigate forest restoration questions from diverse scientific perspectives, with alternating focus on the global and European levels. This includes exploring practical forest restoration approaches, experiences and challenges worldwide.

Taking place on Wednesday, 14 December from 16:00-17:30 CET, the second webinar on 14 December, when KU Leuven professor Bart Muys will discuss “Biodiversity as a key asset for forest restoration in Europe“!

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Array ( [0] => Europe/Rome )