Action for climate change

The Prime Ministers of the UK and Norway have each committed 63 million euros to the Congo Basin Forest Fund. The initiative was launched in cooperation with the Commission for the Forests of Central Africa (COMIFAC) and the African Development Bank.

To reduce total emissions the global community will have to take urgent action, said Norwegian Prime minister Stoltenberg. A reduction of the emissions from deforestation and forest degradation is essential to address climate change.

As much as one fifth of current greenhouse gas emissions are caused by deforestation. According to both the Stern Review and the IPCC, these emissions can be reduced substantially in a fairly short time and at an acceptable price.

To reduce deforestation in developing countries is a main priority for Norways climate policy. We believe that the Congo Basin Forest Fund is a good example of a mechanism by which developed countries can help shoulder the financial burden of developing countries making significant emissions reductions. Therefore, Norway is pledging £50 million (63 million euros) to limiting emissions from deforestation in the Congo Basin, announced the Prime Minister.

At the Bali climate conference Norway pledged to increase its support to prevent deforestation in developing countries to nearly 400 million euros a year. The Congo Basin Forest Fund is one of the first projects to which Norway announces substantial support.

Covering an area twice the size of France, the Congo Basin rainforest is the second largest tropical forest in the world home to more than 50 million people, 10,000 species of plants , 1000 species of birds and 400 species of mammals.

The Congo Basin Forest Fund will be run by a governing council chaired by Professor Wangari Maathai – Nobel Peace Laureate and goodwill ambassador for the Congo Basin Forest, and the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin – former Prime Minister of Canada.

More info
www.cbf-fund.org