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“The UNFCCC COP18 in Doha worked overtime to finally agree not to disagree. While the green sectors (forestry and agriculture) have kept a historically low profile both in the results and in the commentaries, the straw to clutch is the planned 2015 climate agreement”, says Peter Holmgren, CIFOR Director General in his analysis of the U.N climate talks. The inclusion of climate change actions within the green sectors could be more effective in meeting UNFCCC’s objectives than waiting for environment-driven negotiations to provide solutions, he argues.
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While the U.N. climate talks in Doha saw no decision on verifying carbon emissions from deforestation, forests look set to be an integral part of the next international treaty on climate change in 2020, said experts. In this wrap up of the COP18 negotiations, CIFOR scientists Lou Verchot and Arild Angelsen examine how forests were featured in the UN climate talks in Doha and what the future holds for forests and REDD+ going forward.
For more blogs, videos and photographs in English, Indonesian, French and Spanish from Forest Day 6 and COP18, visit our special feature here.
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 Forestry experts have called for a new approach to managing land and tackling climate change –challenging the ongoing debate that forests have to be sacrificed for the sake of rural development and food security. Forests and forestry must be looked at through the lenses of agriculture, food security and broader sustainable development, say experts: “It is time for forestry to come out of the forest and contribute more broadly.”
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 As Forest Day evolves into a proposed Landscape Day at future U.N. climate conferences, involving both agriculture and rural development stakeholders, CIFOR Director General Peter Holmgren attempts to answer one of the burning questions: what is meant by a ‘landscape’?
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 Countries need to ensure that their forest monitoring activities under REDD+ move beyond just measuring carbon emissions and changes in forest area – they should be integrated with monitoring of other forest values like biodiversity and rural social conditions, reports Niki De Sy, PhD student with CIFOR and Wageningen University.
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 Just 60 kilometres from Doha but a world away from the air-conditioned unreality of the UN climate talks, Indonesian scientist Daniel Murdiyarso and Lebanese scientist Mohamad Khawlie explore Qatar’s northeastern coastline, indulging in a shared passion for mangroves.
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 Experts at Doha were weighing in on whether Indonesia should extend its two-year ban on the issuance of new forestry concessions in order to give the country a chance to meet its emissions reductions goals by 2020. “Extension is a lot better than creating a new one later because you already have buy-in from stakeholders, as well as established cross-ministerial processes,” said Daniel Murdiyarso, CIFOR scientist.
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 For the first time scientists have assessed the main activities driving deforestation and forest degradation at the national level in most developing countries — providing essential information for countries negotiating climate change policies. Experts hope that drivers of deforestation will be on the UN’s climate agenda next year.
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 Forests are going to feature very importantly in the future international sustainable development agenda, said the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo in an interview at Forest Day. Including forests will be vital to meet environmental protection, economic growth and social development goals set out at this year’s Rio+20 conference.
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The Center for International Forestry Research is a nonprofit, global facility dedicated to advancing human wellbeing, environmental conservation and equity. We conduct research that enables more informed and equitable decision making about the use and management of forests in less-developed countries.
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Qatar's mangroves: why they matter for climate change
Wu Hongbo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
Ephraim Kamuntu, Ugandan Minister for Water and the Environment
Will Steffan, Executive Director, Climate Change Institute
Daniel Zarin, Director of Programs, Climate and Land Use Alliance
Tasso Azevedo, former Chief of the Brazilian Forest Service
Gabrielle Kissinger, Lexeme Consulting
Yannick Kuehl, Forest and Climate Change Expert, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan
Bianca Jagger, Ambassador 'Plant a Pledge'
Peter Holmgren, CIFOR Director General
Forest Day tribute Video
Tony La Viña, UNFCCC negotiator for the Philippines
Jan McAlpine, Director, UN Forum on Forests Secretariat
Tony Simons, Director General, World Agroforestry Centre
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Senior/Principal Scientist, Climate Change
Scientist, Restoration and Plantation Forestry
Post Doctoral Fellow Global Comparative Study on REDD+
Scientist, Global Comparative Study (GCS) on REDD+
Executive Officer for the Director General's Office
Regional Scientist, Forests and Livelihoods
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