July 2011: The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) has issued a briefing drawing on reports from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and civil society organisations regarding the role of forests in transitioning to a more sustainable economic system.

Prepared for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), the briefing quotes a UNEP study highlighting forests’ potential positive impacts on poverty reduction, human health, international trade, economic development, security, biodiversity and climate change. It also notes that, in a green economy, forests will be more valuable intact and sustainably managed than clear cut.

The briefing emphasizes that it is up to the international community to address how forest governance can attribute reliable figures to the natural capital of the forestry sector. Finally, it notes that forest management policies built upon a strong governance framework can assist in the transition to the green economy. [Publication: Rio+20 Briefing #2: Forests and the Green Economy]