Become a member
Membership of IUFRO is open to any institution concerned with the promotion, support or conduct of research related to forests, trees and forest products.
Description
IUFRO at the COP29 Forest Pavilion
This year's UN Climate Change Summit COP29 from November 11 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan, set out on delivering more and better climate finance to economically disadvantaged countries to help them overcome the impacts of climate change. It was an opportunity for world leaders to show how they will enhance climate commitments.
Further reading: Baku Conference Sets New Collective Climate Finance Goal – SDG Knowledge Hub
At this critical moment for the achievement of climate goals it is imperative to place more emphasis on forests and trees and their role in climate change negotiations. The Forest Pavilion led by the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat and multi-stakeholder founding partners provided a platform at the COP to strengthen political commitment and accelerate action for forests by all stakeholders.
Go to: IUFRO COP29 landing page
On 13 November, the highly anticipated Forest Pavilion officially opened with a diverse lineup of speakers, marking the beginning of a critical dialogue on the role of forests in addressing the climate crisis. Representatives from countries and organizations took the stage and underscored the vital role of forests in achieving climate goals, stressing the need for stronger political commitment, increased finance, and transformative global action for sustainable forest management.
Speaking on behalf of IUFRO, Nelson Grima, Coordinator of the Science-Policy Programme, remarked, "The Pavilion offers an extraordinary opportunity to engage with stakeholders from across the world, and from a wide range of backgrounds, from policymakers, to researchers, Indigenous leaders, the private sector, and civil society. Each of them brings unique knowledge, insights, and perspectives that, together, can bring about effective, science-based solutions for the challenges forests face."
Saturday, 16 November, was packed with activities for the IUFRO team, as the Pavilion focused its attention on the theme of "Forests Forward: Harnessing Science, Technology, and Innovation for Climate Finance and Action" , IUFRO and CIFOR-ICRAF, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, organized the agenda of the day. Nelson Grima, Alexander Buck and Carola Egger engaged global audiences across four Instagram Live sessions, e.g.: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCt9LfbNBfN/
Each conversation showcased a critical aspect of forest advocacy: from the undeniable role of forests in climate action to the essential collaborations between science and business. Nelson Grima also reminded viewers about the International Forest Governance report published earlier this year, while Alexander Buck summarized the importance of global forest research cooperation, which is at the heart of IUFRO and was a key topic during the IUFRO World Congress 2024, Forests and society towards 2050. Carola Egger explained the collaboration between science and business in TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS.
Alexander Buck further elevated IUFRO's message through an interview recorded by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. This media spotlight emphasizes the growing recognition of forest science and cooperation for a sustainable future of forests and society.
Later that day, TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS showcased its achievements in bridging research and practice to support sustainable forest management and wood-based value chains, critical for meeting global sustainability targets.
In a session titled Driving sustainable development through collaboration, Carola Egger and Maja Radosavljevic (online) highlighted the platform's success in uniting scientists, businesses, and stakeholders over three years, and presented the shared vision moving forward. "When science and business collaborate, we tackle UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as Climate Action (13), Life on Land (15), Responsible Consumption and Production (12), Decent Work and Economic Growth (8), and on top of that Partnerships (17)", Carola said. She also presented the recent Europe's wood supply in disruptive times report.
Find a recording of the session and other talks at: Playlist
On 20 November, the Pavilion's spotlight was on "Sustainable forest-based bioeconomy for climate change mitigation and adaptation". Even though IUFRO did not have a speaker in this event jointly organized by FAO, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), Japan and ITTO, important projects in which IUFRO plays a role were prominently mentioned, including WOOD for GLOBE and the European Wood Policy Platform WoodPoP.
The 2024 Forest Pavilion was an exceptional premiere as we look towards COP30, which will be held from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon, where forests shall be placed at the forefront of the global political agenda.