26 May 2014: On the occasion of the ‘High-level Conference on Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the Context of Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss,’ the European Commission (EC) Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik, discussed the phenomenon of “imported deforestation,” through which EU domestic consumption drives global land use change and deforestation. The conference was convened to inform work on REDD+ by EU member States, identify options to address forest loss and degradation globally, and bring together stakeholders from the public and private sectors in support of climate change negotiations on REDD+ and related matters.

In addressing the conference, the Commissioner recalled multiple EU commitments to reducing deforestation and forest degradation including the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 and UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) commitments. In order to meet such commitments, the EC must, according to the Commissioner, decouple economic growth from resource use through a shift to circular economic systems, including a package of initiatives addressing issues such as food waste, REDD+, sustainable forest supply chains and resource efficiency. A proposal for an EU Action Plan on deforestation and forest degradation will be elaborated in the coming months under the EU Environment Action Programme, according to the Commissioner.

The conference considered projections for forest cover and management for the period 2015-2030 and discussed the landscape approach to managing multiple pressures on forests. It also highlighted the importance of sustaining the livelihoods of forest-dependent peoples and identified roles for different stakeholders in achieving goals and targets related to forests, climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development. The meeting was held the 26-27 May in Brussels, Belgium. [EC Press Release] [Conference Website]