1. SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT: AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Tim Rollinson Director General Forestry Commission

2. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT The planet’s forests are disappearing Forest cover reached an all time low in the UK 100 years ago But we have recovered - forest cover is now 14% in Wales So we have practical experience of restoring our forests Our knowledge and expertise is invaluable

3. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE IPCC 4th Assessment was published in 2007 “Forestry can make a very significant contribution to a low-cost global mitigation portfolio …” “ … this opportunity is being lost... and has resulted in only a small proportion of this potential being realised at present”

4. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 IPCC - FORESTRY’S CONTRIBUTION “In the long term, a sustainable forest management strategy aimed at maintaining or increasing forest stocks, while producing an annual sustained yield of timber, fibre or energy from the forest, will generate the greatest mitigation benefit”

5. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 IPCC - FORESTRY OPTIONS Reduce emissions from deforestation Enhance sequestration in existing and new forests Use wood fuels as a substitute for fossil fuels Use wood products in place of energy - intensive materials eg concrete, steel

6. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 IPCC - FORESTRY OPTIONS “ … the technologies and knowledge required to implement mitigation activities exist today”

7. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT Forests must be managed on a sustainable basis UK has been at forefront in understanding and defining how to do this UK Forestry Standard sets the benchmarks UK was first country in world to have all its public forests certified as managed sustainably

8. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT UK experience sought by many countries - China, Brazil, Russia, US, Sweden … UK is a founder member of Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration We are working with other countries - eg Wales is working with China

9. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 AN ACTION PLAN FOR FORESTRY AND CLIMATE CHANGE Assessment of Forestry’s Contribution to Tackling Climate Change Centre for Forestry and Climate Change Framework for Woodland Carbon Management and Emissions Offsetting – Standards and Guidelines – Protocols for Carbon Assessment and Monitoring – Code of Practice for Woodland Offsetting Schemes Forests and Climate Change Network

10. Forests & Climate Change Conference, Cardiff - Wednesday 18 June 2008 CONCLUSIONS The foundation for forestry’s contribution to combating climate change is Sustainable Forest Management In the UK we have 90 years experience and learning lessons We have the Knowledge, the Skills and the Technology We now have to show we have the willpower!