Unified Governors’ Call on Nations to Support Reduction of Deforestation and Sound Climate Policy, Create New Transnational Task Force

Statement reinforces sub-national action, desire to forge consensus and enhance effort

Copenhagen, 14 December 2009 – Echoing sub-national unity to fight advancing global climate impacts, governors representing 14 states and provinces today issued a statement urging nations’ support of forestry protocols. The states, including from; Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and the U.S. jointly endorsed a transnational task force that would forge greater involvement of national governments and the international community to help address forestry related issues in developing climate policy. The provinces of East Kalimantan and West Kalimantan, Indonesia were represented by the President and Founder of the Borneo Tropical Rainforest Foundation (BTRF).

“In California, we've shown that it is not only possible to fight climate change at the sub-national level; we've proven that a sub-national government has the power to drive change across the nation and the world," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I have seen firsthand the power that cities, states and my partner states and provinces have to influence positive change and create new ideas. My great hope is that this wave of momentum, created by our bond in common purpose, will encourage nations to join with us.”

The governors’ applauded the efforts of national governments and the United Nations framework to advance climate policy, especially provisions for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in climate protection efforts. However, their message is that this issue cannot be solved by national governments alone. Action needs to be mobilized at multiple levels of governance – local, state/provincial, national and international. Agreements at the international or national level will be difficult to implement unless existing programs and capabilities at the sub national level are more adequately supported.

The group of states and provinces have been operating through the Governors’ Climate and Forest Task Force (GCF) with the aim of sharing experiences, building capacity, and developing recommendations for policy makers and regulatory authorities considering ways to integrate REDD and other forest carbon activities into emerging greenhouse gas (GHG) compliance systems. Sub-national interests play an essential role in highlighting the realities of climate change. They are keenly aware of the importance of forests from a grassroots perspective and ensure that these concerns are brought to national and international attention.

The GCF was originally formed in November 2008 among the states and provinces of Aceh (Indonesia); Acre (Brazil); Amapá (Brazil); Amazonas (Brazil); California (U.S.); Illinois (U.S.); Mato Grosso (Brazil); Papua (Indonesia); Pará (Brazil); and Wisconsin (U.S.). The GCF also announced today an expansion of GCF states to include Campeche (Mexico); Cross River State (Nigeria); East Kalimantan (Indonesia); and West Kalimantan (Indonesia).

In October 2009, the GCF sent a letter to the presidents of Indonesia, Brazil, and the U.S. calling for greater leadership on forest and climate policy. The letter outlined principals for a transnational task force and requested that the leaders include provisions for forests in international and national climate policies.

Background
More than 50 percent of the world’s tropical forests are located in the states and provinces participating in the GCF. Rainforests provide important ecosystem services and are a crucial part of climate protection, while also providing livelihoods for countless local communities and indigenous peoples. Deforestation, almost all of which occurs in the tropics, accounts for some 20 percent of GHG emissions – more than the entire global transportation sector and roughly equivalent to annual emissions produced by China or the United States in 2005. And yet, tropical deforestation was expressly excluded from the Kyoto Protocol, creating an immense gap in international climate protection efforts. The world is still failing to ensure that forests are valued for the critical contribution they make to the planet’s health.

BTRF signs MoU with Ministry of Forestry Republic of Indonesia

BTRF’s President, Marinah Embiricos signs new Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Forestry’s Department of Forest Protection and Natural Resource Conservation Director General Ir. Darori, MM. The MOU stipulates provisions for the strengthening of capacity of government institutions in forest protection and nature conservation planning and support management activities in Kayan Mentarang National Park, East Kalimantan Province. The scope of cooperation also includes the empowerment of local communities through a series of pilot projects aimed at raising awareness for nature conservation, strengthening community institutions, eco-tourism development and Payment-for-Ecosystem-Services (PES) schemes.

25 HOURS FREERIDE

BTRF has been chosen as a beneficiary of this years 25 hours Freeride event in Gstaad.

The 25 hours freeride is the brainchild of BTRF board member, Dominique Perret, who has earned the distinction of being voted ‘Freeride Skier of the Century’. Now in its eighth year, the freeride is a team event that has raised thousands of francs for charity.

This year the proceeds of this inspirational sporting and fun occasion will be shared by two organisations working on behalf of underprivileged children in the developed and developing world respectively:

• Swiss organisation, Just 4 Smiles, which provides sports facilities specifically adapted for the enjoyment of severely handicapped children.
• BTRF, which has developed a special programme to benefit the ‘Children of Malinau’, and thereby promote long-term efforts to preserve the globally important forests in this remote part of Borneo.

The ‘Children of Malinau’ programme is linked to a wider ‘BTRF+’ initiative that will also be launched during the 25 Freeride celebrations.

BTRF+ is a unique service for companies and individuals wishing to move towards achieving a positive ‘environmental footprint’, and thereby contribute as responsible global citizens – on an essentially voluntary and altruistic basis – to efforts to combat environmental degradation and global warming.

A first ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ of this new programmes is Dominique Perret himself, whose films and expeditions will henceforce be organised under the banner of the BTRF+ “Seal of Environmental and Social Responsibility”.

The following background documents are available for download:

• Children of Malinau
• Les Enfants de Malinau (en Français)
• BTRF+ brochure (part 1, part 2)
• BTRF+ presentation

Rainforest: The Planetary Stakes

The world’s tropical rainforests, until recently at least, occupied just 2% of the surface of the planet (6% of the land surface) but contained 65% of the world’s biological resources.

The current rampant destruction of rainforest in Borneo is a biodiversity disaster of planetary proportions. Majestic gifts of creation, which took 50 to 100 million years to develop could be totally decimated in just 50 years of frenzied, largely uncontrolled exploitation.

Green Renaissance, Bali, 9th December 2007

News and updates related to Green Renaissance, an initiative of Borneo Tropical Rainforest Foundation, Global Eco Rescue, Ltd. and partner organisations in association with the Government of Indonesia and the Organising Committee of the Bali Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to be held in Bali on 9th December 2007