FSC at COP28

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will be hosting and speaking at various events and panel discussions during COP28, the United Nation’s annual climate conference, where world leaders, government officials, NGOs, businesses, and citizens will unite to tackle urgent issues of the climate crisis.

Forests are our best line of defence against climate change, making them central to achieving global climate targets. Through responsible management, forests offer invaluable benefits: they continually absorb carbon into the soil and their biomass while providing countless materials integral to our everyday lives. The unique quality of these forest-based materials lies in their ability to retain the captured carbon, offering a sustainable alternative that reduces our reliance on less sustainable options such as steel or concrete.

FSC certification is a proven solution to tackle the climate emergency.

To ensure forests of all sizes and in all regions are healthy and resilient against threats such as climate change, FSC tailors its work to the local context and pioneers practical and effective solutions through collaboration and co-creation while building local capacity to continue the work. It has an established history of convening diverse environmental, social, and economic interests. FSC is therefore equipped to address these challenges while continuing to support the livelihoods and cultural services of forest communities and Indigenous Peoples.

COP28, taking place in Dubai, UAE from 30 November 2023 – 12 December 2023, aspires to reinvigorate national climate targets and craft an action plan grounded in consensus, outlining well-defined steps to limit warming to globally agreed targets and accelerate the green transition. This marks a pivotal moment in global negotiations, as the conference will witness the inaugural conclusion of the Global Stocktake of climate progress. After taking stock, decisions will be made influencing the level of ambition countries set in their upcoming climate action plans and in meeting 2030 global targets.

FSC at COP28

As an official observer of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), FSC can use its standards and solutions to support the 77 per cent of countries engaging in forestry-related initiatives to reach the milestones outlines in this landmark agreement.

FSC has 30 years of experience in pioneering responsible forest management. We firmly believe that by leading with tangible initiatives backed by research and facts, we can use our influence, in collaboration with our partners, to play a critical role in accelerating climate action.

Key focus areas for FSC in COP28 are sustainable finance and natural capital, global financial mechanisms, nature-based solutions, carbon markets and perspectives, payment for ecosystem services, as well as rights and voices of Indigenous Peoples.

The FSC delegation attending COP this year are:

1. Kim Carstensen, Director General, FSC International
2. Pina Gervassi, Climate and Restoration Director, FSC International
3. Theresa Keith, Climate Engagement Deputy Director, FSC International
4. Harrison Ochieng Kojwang, Senior Affairs & Engagement Advisor (Africa and Global Institutions), FSC International

 

Events and participation

FSC will lead and co-host four main events at COP28.  

4 December 2023, 9:30-10:30am, IUCN Pavilion, Blue Zone

IUCN Pavilion Event: Forests & Finance: Unlocking Innovative Financial Models for Natural Capital & Equitable Access

Speakers:

• Dr. Gareth Phillips, African Development Bank
• Joseph Itongwa, REPALEAC
• John Willis/Peter Elwin, Planet Tracker
• Caitlin Clarke, BTG Pactual

Moderator: Theresa Keith, Climate Engagement Deputy Director, FSC International

A livestream is available through this link: https://www.iucn.org/cop28live

 

5 December 2023, 15:30 – 17:00, Gabon Pavilion, Blue Zone

Gabon Pavilion Side Event: Forests working for the Gabonese.

Speakers:

• Government representative:  Government of Gabon
• Kim Carstensen: Director General, FSC International

This event will be followed by a meet and greet.

 

5 December 2023, 16:45-18:15, Side Event Room 5, Blue Zone

UNFCCC Side Event: Banking on Climate: Going beyond Climate Finance.

Opening Remarks Speaker: Fatima Yasmin, Vice-President (Sectors and Themes), ADB

Speakers:

• Kim Carstensen, Director General, FSC International
• Jwala Rambarran, Distinguished Fellow, Sustainable Finance Program, ClimateWorks Foundation
• Imane Kabbaj, Director, Responsible Investing, Man Solutions
• Nabil Moura Kadri, Deputy Managing Director of Environment, Brazilian National Development Bank
• Dr. Mohammad Altaf-Ul- Alam, Additional Secretary, Macroeconomic, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh
• Noelle O’Brien, Director, Climate Change, ADB

Moderator: Rachel Kyte, Dean Emerita of The Fletcher School at Tufts University

A livestream is available through this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnfcccInt/playlists

More information on the event is available on this page.

 

8 December 2023, 17:30-18:30, COMIFAC Pavilion, Blue Zone

COMIFAC Pavilion Side Event: Sustainable Management Certification in the Congo Basin and Markets.

Speakers:

•  Mr. Chouaibou NCHOUTPOUEN, Deputy Executive Secretary and Technical Coordinator of the Central African Forests Commission (COMIFAC)
• Kim Carstensen: Director General, FSC International
• TBD, Representative of the Co-Facilitation of the French and Gabonese Republics for the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.

 

FSC will also be speaking at various events and panel discussions:

• Climate Change and the Role of Nature-Based Solutions in the Wine Industry

Chilean Pavilion, 3 December 2023, 16:30-18:00

Speaker: Pina Gervassi

 

• Natural Capital Strategy – panel by the Peruvian government

Peruvian Pavilion, 6 December 2023.

Panelist: Pina Gervassi, Climate and Restoration Director, FSC International

 

• Initiative 20x20 Tracking Restoration – Progress Against NDC and CBD Global Targets

BENELUX-EIB Pavilion, 9 December 2023, 09:30

Panelist: Pina Gervassi, Climate and Restoration Director, FSC International

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Interested in chatting to us in person during COP28? Reach out to Theresa Keith at t.keith@fsc.org.

For media requests and interviews with our delegation, please send an email to media@fsc.org.