Report of meeting

THE WORLD SUMMIT: WHAT DOES IT MEANS FOR FORESTRY?

Report on a meeting held by the Commonwealth Forestry Association (UK Branch) and the Institute of Chartered Foresters (South Scotland Region) held on Friday 1 November, 2002 at Pentlands Science Park, Edinburgh, UK.

The aim of this one-day seminar was to highlight the outcomes and discuss the potential implications for forestry of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)*.  Approximately 70 people from the UK and overseas gathered to hear a range of talks and enter into a lively debate on how we stand following the recent meeting in Johannesburg. 

Davide Minotti (Department for Environment Farming and Rural Affairs - DEFRA) asked through his presentation The World Summit on Sustainable Development what did it achieve and what happens next?  His felt that in spite of a general perception of a lack of outcomes at the WSSD several key goals were achieved, namely:

• A boost for multilateralism

• The reaffirmation and reinvigoration of international commitment to implementing Agenda 21

• A recommitment to mainstreaming sustainable development at all levels

• A mandate for intensified action at global, regional, and national levels on a range of issues

• Generation of more than 220 multi-stakeholders partnerships

Although he also reported key areas where gaps were evident Minotti outlined the range of meetings that are designed to follow-up WSSD and stressed the need to capitalise on the important gains made in terms of private/public partnerships.

Tim Rollinson (UK Forestry Commission) presented an outline of the Summit outcomes, the Plan of Implementation for Forests, and listed some of the forestry events that took place at the WSSD in The World Summit and Forests.  He acknowledged it was difficult to ascertain exactly what had been achieved from a forestry perspective largely because forestry was not part of the main discussion, the key of negotiations having been carried out at the UNFF.  He focused on the important move towards strengthening multi-lateral partnerships and highlighted the presentation at the Summit of the UK Forest Partnership for Action.   Peter Wilson (Forest Industries Development Council) described this initiative in greater detail in Building on WSSD: UK forest business perspective and provided an insight into the measures taken in the UK to create a progressive association between public, private and NGO partners to develop a fair and equitable forestry trading and negotiating consortium.  Working together to highlight the benefits of wood and develop a forum to deal with the threats faced by the industry has created a new working environment between organisations that traditionally had little to do with each other.  The aim of the UK Forest Partnership for Action is to maximise its positive impact the UK forest industries sector is working to ensure that:

• All wood use in the UK comes from sustainably-managed or recycled sources

• Wood is efficiently harvested, transported and processed into wood-based products

• More wood-based products are used in more ways so replacing less sustainable materials

Paul Toyne (WWF-UK) took a more pessimistic view of the Summit and suggested that little progress was evident for forestry and the environment in his presentation The World Summit for Sustainable Development: an environmental perspective.  He felt that this was due to the combination of an agenda that was too broad, a spoiling strategy employed by some nations, and the power of finance ministers to limit the flexibility of negotiation.  He was disappointed that the current economic orthodoxy was not challenged and agreed with other speakers that engagement with others through new partnerships was essential for the future conservation of the forest resource.

John Hudson’s (DFID) presentation focussed on the relevance of the WSSD to foresters in What did it mean for forestry, forests and people? He felt that the general perspective that not a great deal was achieved in Johannesburg, needed to be tempered by reference to the Summit’s objectives.  In this regard he reminded the audience that the WSSD was not about the environment and that the agenda had moved on to sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Mike Dudley’s (UK Forestry Commission) presentation International Forest Processes: What? Why?  highlighted the view that the WSSD reflected the shift in focus from policy formulation to practical implementation.  He described the relevant regional and international fora and agreements that acted as a backdrop to discussions on global forestry issues and, in common with other speakers, pointed out the growing importance of forging new partnerships.

The issues surrounding greater public concern over the source of our wood were presented by Andy Roby (Timber Trades Federation) in Wood for who’s good? Tackling illegal logging.   The scale and impact of illegal logging was highlighted and proposals put forward linking producer and consumer countries through a programme of Corporate Social Responsibility for timber related businesses.

David Bills (UK Forestry Commission) presented his views on sustainable resources, management and institutions in Wood is a Sustainable Product (But Only if the Forest Management is Right).  He illustrated the benefits of using wood in terms of energy consumption and carbon storage but pointed out that forestry within a sustainable landscape did not necessarily mean restoration of ancient forest ecosystems.  He said “The ‘ancient’ forest was a subject of its time - they were often cultural landscapes, people’s needs were different, demands were different.  We need to work out what is best for this time, what is sustainable in the full sense of the word”.

He added “An important component of sustainability in forestry is the sustainability of forestry institutions like the ICF, CFA and the Forestry Commission as effective institutions which continue to make a significant contribution to the ‘capacity’ needed to deliver sustainable forest management.  If institutions are to remain effective then just as forestry has and will continue to change so must they”.

In his summing-up*, Duncan Poore reflected the views of many when he spoke of the “high expectations that people have of world summits, and subsequent frustration that these expectations have not been met”.  But in reminding us of the progress that has occurred in international negotiations on forests in the past 30 years he highlighted the need to “balance perfectionism and pragmatism; to recognise the ideal, but respect the art of the possible”.

*Click here for the full report on Duncan Poore's summing-up