As the meeting opened, Greenpeace exposed governments for
ignoring key recommendations by scientists to protect ancient
forests globally.
The meeting, which is the last preparatory meeting before next
year’s Ancient Forest Summit, is the most critical forest meeting
in 10 years, offering world governments a last chance to save the
ancient forests.
“The world’s remaining ancient forests are facing a crisis. If
world governments do not act now, these crucial ecosystems will
disappear, as well as the plants, animals and human communities
that depend on them,” said Greenpeace political advisor Gudrun
Henne. “Despite the urgency of the ancient forests crisis, vital
recommendations made by experts have been ignored. It is time to
act, and we are calling on world governments represented here to
agree on concrete measures to save these magnificent forests.”
The action in Montreal comes in the wake of a series of protests
by Greenpeace worldwide over the failure of world governments to
halt ancient forest destruction since the Rio Earth Summit almost
10 years ago.
“In 1992, world governments adopted the Convention on Biological
Diversity, a legally binding agreement aimed at conserving life on
Earth. But since then, these governments have done little to live
up to this commitment. Harbouring around two-thirds of the world’s
land-based species, conserving forests is key to conserving
biological diversity,” said Henne.
According to FAO figures released last month, an average of more
than 15 million hectares of pristine forest in the tropics alone
has been cleared each year during the 1990s. Meanwhile Jeffrey
McNeely, Chief Scientist of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) has
recently stated that “if forest clearing continues at 1990s rates,
the forests will lose many of their remaining species by the middle
of the 21st century.”
“Independent scientific evidence shows conclusively how ancient
forests, from the boreal forests of Russia and Europe to the
tropical forests of Brazil, are being eroded at a staggering pace.
Unless urgent action is taken by world governments these
magnificent forests will disappear, along with the unique human
cultures and animals, such as the gorilla, orang-utan and brown
bear,” said Henne.
In a report released by Greenpeace to highlight the SBSTTA
meeting and the forthcoming Ancient Forest Summit, Greenpeace
emphasised the role of world governments in contributing to the
ancient forest crisis, pointing out both their failure to live up
to earlier promises on conservation, and their culpability in
failing to control the international forest products industry.
Greenpeace calls on world governments to:
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