Digital Forum Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Events at Global Landscapes Forum

Mainstreaming Blue Carbon to meet Global Commitments

You may wonder what Blue Carbon is and why it’s so important – and rightfully so. The protection and restoration of Blue Carbon is an area that has been ignored for so long. But the health of these neglected ecosystems has important implications for the global climate and sustainable development.

Generally, Blue Carbon refers to the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems. Ecosystems like mangroves, tidal marshes and seagrasses can sequester and hold huge quantities of carbon for centuries. So, it has been estimated that when degraded or destroyed, these ecosystems can release more than a billion tons of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere per year.

Join this GLF Digital Summit to discuss why it is so important to discuss it in the context of climate change and sustainable development and how scientific and policy communities should strategize their collaborative work to achieve their common goals.

We will be joined by a panel of experts from a wide range of backgrounds to discuss these issues:

Daniel Murdiyarso, Principal Scientist, CIFOR; Professor, Department of Geophysics and Meteorology, IPB
Emily Pidgeon, Blue Carbon Initiative, USA
Dan Friess, National University of Singapore
Tonny Wagey, Indonesian Climate Change Trust Fund

Our esteemed panel will provide the background, thoughts, opportunities and challenges of this subject to allow you to participate in the discussion. Your contributions will be of utmost importance to shape the way forward.

Register now with the ‘Save My Spot’ button at the top of the page. As soon as you have filled in the details, you will be able to ask any questions you may want answered in advance!

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Scaling up Social Enterprise for Sustainable Landscapes

The Social Enterprise Alliance defines social enterprises as “organizations that address a basic unmet need or solve a social problem through a market-driven approach.” Social enterprises are businesses that use markets to provide goods and services, but they reinvest their earnings into social or environmental initiatives. Social enterprises are driven by environmental, cultural or social principles, rather than by maximizing profits. They strive to make a difference in the world and bring about positive change.

Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka, a global organization dedicated to identifying and supporting social entrepreneurs, says that “social entrepreneurs are the essential corrective force. They are system-changing entrepreneurs. And from deep within they, and therefore their work, are committed to the good of all.”

Since the 1980’s, when Ashoka first began to recognize and organize a network of change-makers and entrepreneurs, the movement has grown and evolved.

It has recognized problems and implemented market-driven solutions to challenges throughout various sectors. Thriving models like Terracycle or the One AcreFund have paved the way with examples, demonstrating that it is possible to build a sustainable and economically viable business model around a social cause. The success of their business models depends not only on return on investment (ROI) but social return on investment (SROI). Unlike the ROI, which is a parameter that solely assesses financial profitability, the SROI is a tool that quantifies extra-financial impacts, including the broader social, environmental, cultural and economic impacts of an activity or business.

The world has recently seen a surge of interest in social enterprise projects. The rise of consumer consciousness is expanding opportunities for businesses to incorporate the value of social impact into product prices.

The sectors of agriculture, forestry and the environment are all experiencing growth in the number of social entrepreneurship initiatives, projects and businesses that are being leveraged to market-driven social good. These projects tackle issues such as deforestation, reforestation, water conservation and waste management. A network of projects that provide localized solutions to sustainable landscape problems is growing. To what extent can this movement be a part of the solution toolbox toward more sustainable land management?

The panelists that will be discussing social entrepreneurship have direct experience being part of social enterprises, accelerators and working with financing solutions.They will express their views on the following:

To what extent do they believe that social enterprises can have important, sustainable landscape impacts?
What kind of social return on investment (SROI) have we seen from funding that has been directed into social enterprises driven by sustainable landscape objectives? How is the SROI assessed and what is the impact?
How accessible are financing options to social entrepreneurs? From the funder’s perspective, what are the obstacles and opportunities in making loans and financing available? And, from the social enterprise’s perspective, what are the obstacles and opportunities in accessing financing options?
What examples do we currently have in this sector? What kind of social enterprises can already serve as models? Are we seeing models that have achieved scale through funding support?
What lessons can participants share about supporting this sector in meaningful ways?

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Fashion for the SDGs: Sustainable supply chains

Time: 10.15 – 11.45 (US East Coast Time)

When most think about contributing factors to environmental health and Climate Change, typically we think about energy production, shipping, and agriculture. What often flies under the radar is the immense contribution from the fashion and textile industry.

‘The Fashion industry – worth $3 trillion annually – is clearly an environmental emergency’, warned top UN officials. According to Olga Algayerova, the Executive Secretary of the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe, the Fashion industry is the second biggest consumer of water and produces 20% of global wastewater while producing approximately 10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Simply addressing the sustainability of this supply chain could drastically reduce the impact of fashion and textile industries.

While the sustainability of the Fashion industry’s supply chain should already be cause for serious concern, the main driver of the Fashion industry’s environmental epidemic is a shift in consumer behavior. Compared to 2000, the average consumer in 2018 is purchasing 60% more clothes but wearing them for half the time and in the case of 40% of clothes, not wearing them at all. Bearing in mind the rate of population growth, consumption will rise by 63%, from 62 million tons today to 102 million tons in 2039—an equivalent of more than 500 billion T-shirts.This monumental shift in consumer behavior puts immense pressure on not just the supply chains of these industries, but also on natural resources, ecosystems and local communities that these supply chains depend on.

The fashion and textile industries is an engine for global development. Being one of the world’s largest consumer industries, it generated $1.5 trillion in annual apparel and footwear revenues in 2016 and employs approximately 60 million people. There is no question that the industry is a force for economic and social progress, but currently it does not do enough to ensure sustainability along its supply chain.

Addressing the production and consumption patterns of the fashion industry to improve sustainability would have a domino effect on many aspects of development and provide a visible and meaningful contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Tune into this discussion of how the Fashion and Textile industries can make meaningful contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. We will be joined by experts from UNEP, Future Tech Lab, Fashion for Conservation and more to discuss steps in ensuring sustainability in fashion and textile supply chains and to highlight fair and equitable investments as well as accelerating the provision of green jobs for youth and women especially in rural areas.

Contact:

Should you have any questions or enquiries, do not hesitate to contact GLF Digital Summit Coordinator Charlie Nelson at c.nelson@cgiar.orgfor further information.

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The Role of Private Capital in Conservation

Time: 13.00 – 15.00 (USA East Coast Time)

There is a huge gap between the level of funding that is needed to protect the world’s valuable ecosystems, and actual money that is being directed into them, most of which, to date, has come from public or charitable sources. However, this is truly beginning to change, with an increase in the use of private capital being used to achieve positive conservation outcomes along with competitive commercial returns.

“Conservation finance” investments can now be used to point to specific examples of how investments can be structured and show performance, as well as how we demonstrate the high levels of measurable positive social and environmental impact of these investments.

The funding mechanism for these forest conservation projects which protect vulnerable landscapes from deforestation and degradation, is primarily carbon finance. The projects generate verified REDD+ carbon credits which are sold to companies as part of their solutions to reduce net emissions. By bringing a tangible value to the carbon-reducing services forests perform, those companies are making critical forest ecosystems more valuable standing than felled or burned for the land beneath them.

This flow of investment is financing a transition to sustainable land use and commodity production and causes a chain reaction of other positive impacts such as protecting biodiversity, supporting endangered species, empowering women and bringing new jobs to local communities.

Natural solutions to carbon emissions, such as forest-based carbon credits, are recognised by scientists as one of the most powerful and immediate ways to tackle climate change and meet the Paris Agreement reduction goals, with better land management accounting for 37% of all emissions cuts needed by 2030 and critical alongside the energy transition . Avoiding deforestation is also the most cost-effective action for capturing, avoiding and storing carbon emissions with nearly 2GT of potential at <$10/tonne .

By expanding the carbon markets to new sectors and creating further demand for forest-based carbon credits at their true value, conservation finance is absolutely key to protecting critical ecosystems, and enabling businesses and consumers to take much needed climate action.

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YOUth ACTivation: towards the Global Forest Goals

Youth call for an awakening to the reality that we are valuable partners and agents of change in efforts to halt deforestation, particularly in facilitating collective action, building capacity, and sharing the message with everyday people. To do this we must be trained, organized and have a clear set of objectives to deliver.

YOUth ACTivation: towards the Global Forest Goals will provide a launchpad for youth contributions to the UN Forum UNFF13 and present tools to succeed in the fight against deforestation.

During this webinar, participants will learn about forest policy instruments on a global level such as the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) and the Global Forest Goals. Participants will understand how the Major Group Children and Youth (MGCY), convened by the International Forestry Students’ Association, functions before introduced to the work of MGCY.

MGCY is currently producing a work plan that will showcase how young people can contribute to achieving the UNSPF. Having young people on-board for this effort is crucial as we can provide new, innovative ideas to tackle global problems – and we are willing to act!

The webinar will introduce the main objectives of the work plan and will then provide a platform to discuss among participants how we can bring this work plan to life. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute ideas for specific projects that will contribute to achieve the UNSPF.

Join us for this Digital Summit and get involved with your idea to achieve a common vision – YOU ACT!

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3rd APRS media training Digital Summit

Drawing on a broad range of expertise and experience, scientists from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) will conduct a two-day training for members of the media on 21 April 2018 in preparation for the 2018 Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit (APRS).

The training, which includes journalists from Indonesia and the south-east asian region, aims to enhance media coverage of the 2018 APRS and provide the latest information and progress reports on a wide variety of topics, including forests and climate change, REDD+, restoration, bioenergy and peatlands.

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Climate change and migration

With more droughts, floods, heatwaves and other extreme weather events, adding to the increasing land degradation and rising sea levels, the number of people at risk of being negatively affected by climate change is rising. Environmental degradation has a devastating effect on livelihoods and income in less developed parts of the world, where most of the households depends on land and ecosystems services and goods. To face this loss, individuals and communities might be forced to seek economic opportunities elsewhere, when adaptation on-site is not possible or is too expensive.

The impact of climate change on migration is widely expected to dwarf all others. The World Bank estimates that across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, over 140 million people will be forced to migrate within their own countries due to climate change.

“Climate change-driven migration will be a reality, but it does not need to be a crisis, provided we take action now and act boldly,” said John Roome, a senior director for Climate Change at the World Bank. The challenges of migration in the context of climate change require a new strategic approach to policy. Policy makers will need to take action to prevent harmful environmental changes, reduce their impact, and build resilience in communities.

Viable solutions to these challenges are anchored in sustainable development and inclusive growth opportunities. This entails balancing economic growth and social inclusion with land stewardship and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Innovative measures need to be implemented to encourage effective and sustainable management of natural assets, address the imbalances and provide alternatives to distressed migration.

Join the next Global Landscape Forum Digital Summit, “Climate Change, Migration & Gender”. We will be joined by representatives from UNHCR, IOM, DIE, UNCCD, Platform on Disaster Displacement, and ILO to discuss the core issues contributing to climate-induced migration and the most effective solutions to address this challenge.

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Landscape transformation: what does power have to do with it?

Many different kinds of actors are involved in landscape transformations – indigenous landholders, small-scale farmers, agri-business corporations, land titling agencies, and forest conservation departments, to name just a few. Each actor has their own vision of how landscapes should be arranged, and who should be permitted to do what with the land. These visions sometimes overlap, but often they conflict and collide, bringing questions of power to the fore.

What kinds of power can an agri-business corporation use to displace an indigenous woman farmer from her land – and what powers can she use to hold on to it, if she has other plans for it?

Why are forest departments able to enforce protected area boundaries in one location, but not in another?

What makes some small-scale farmers able to hold onto their land, while others lose it through mortgage or debt?

In situations like these, no actors have all the power on their side. Instead, different actors make use of one or more “powers of exclusion” to hold on to land, and to exclude others from it. These powers include force (a gun, a fence, a blockade); regulations (state laws, customary laws, formal boundaries, and land use zones); markets (the price of rent, or credit, or a bribe); and legitimation (arguments about what is right, or fair, or efficient, that may pit global conservation against local incomes, or GNP growth against equity and sustainability, or indigenous peoples’ rights against the needs of landless migrants).

The webinar outlines the “powers of exclusion” framework for analyzing how different actors are able to control land and transform landscapes, and what happens when agendas conflict. Illustrations will be drawn from different scales (regional to local) with a focus on Southeast Asia, and will be used to highlight implications for policy, advocacy and practice. The webinar will also include an open forum for Q and A.

The presenters are Derek Hall, Philip Hirsch and Tania Murray Li, co-authors of Powers of Exclusion: Land Dilemmas in Southeast Asia (2011, National University of Singapore and University of Hawaii Press).

Background reading:

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Land Use Change Needs Behavior Change

We know we have to change. We know the time is now. The question is: How?

Driven by agricultural expansion and the conversion to cash crops and monocultures, the past decades have seen rapid changes affecting landscapes in the tropics – coming largely at the expense of intact forests and other critical ecosystems.

Ultimately, most if not all of these changes are attributable to human behavior – within producer as well as consumer communities. Yet, the most prominent responses to these land use challenges such as REDD+, or more recently, the global large-scale restoration agenda have focused on a limited array of tools designed to shift human behavior, namely financial incentives and legal restrictions.

While other policy fields like public health have a longer history in putting people and their real motivations at the center, concepts from behavioral psychology and economics are now gaining traction in environmental policy. And they did already shape conservation practice for decades, lessons from which solutions are now being distilled.

Following a session at the Global Landscapes Forum in December 2017, we will convene a group of renowned experts from conservation, development, behavioral design and community-based action to discuss with you the Importance of Behavior Change for Land Use Change. We look forward to an exciting debate that will shed light on how practitioners, scientists and professionals can draw from the wealth of insights that behavior economics and psychology have surfaced.

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World Wildlife Day 2018: The role of youth in big cat conservation

Last year the theme of World Wildlife Day was “listen to the young voices,” and this year, with the theme of “big cats: predators under threat,” we’re bringing some young voices to the fore to talk about their experiences in big cat conservation. Tune in on WWD 2018 for a roundtable discussion hosted by Youth for Wildlife Conservation (Y4WC).

Some of the most charismatic wildlife in the world, big cats face a number of threats, from habitat loss, to poaching, to human-animal conflict.

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