As preparations for Rio+20 continue at the 2nd Inter-sessional Meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) in UN Headquarters and the International Year of Forests draws to a close, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), are calling upon countries to capitalize on forests contributions and opportunities at the upcoming Rio+20 conference.

DURBAN (4 December 2011) — A new wave of deforestation is sweeping across Africa decimating wildlife and threatening the resilience of its ecosystems to withstand the effects of climate change — especially in the area food security, experts said.

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (4 December 2011)—With declining conditions in forests looming as a threat to climate health and the wellbeing of a billion impoverished people, the world’s largest consortium of agricultural researchers announced today an ambitious 10-year global research programme devoted to forests and agro-forestry.

DURBAN, South Africa (30 November, 2011) _ Despite being heralded as a green alternative to fossil fuels, a new study by the Center for International Forestry Research has found that carbon emissions generated from land conversion for biodiesel production may take decades to hundreds of years to reverse in some cases, raising serious questions about biodiesel sustainability. This large variation is the result of the type of land converted and the productivity of the feedstock crop.

BOGOR, Indonesia (29 November, 2011) _ Frances Seymour, Director General of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), announced that she will leave the organization next June after leading it during six years of rapid growth and change.

The Center for International Research (CIFOR) will have a team of experienced writers covering issues related to forests and REDD+ at the UN climate change talks in Durban next week. Media worldwide are welcome to use these stories, which will be published in English, Spanish, Indonesian and French on our blog: forestsnews.cifor.org.

 *** MEDIA ADVISORY *** World’s top climate change & REDD+ experts to attend Forest Day in Durban Journalists are urged to register by emailing cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org More than 1,000 forestry experts, activists, policymakers, global leaders and climate change negotiators will gather on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Durban for the fifth annual Forest Day […]

(Vienna, 7 November 2011) Rising prices of fossil fuel as well as global efforts to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, places an expanded use of renewable energy high on the political agenda. Wood energy, the most important source of bioenergy in the world, is seen as key to […]

 *** MEDIA ADVISORY *** Journalists are urged to register now to attend Forest Day by emailing cifor-mediainfo@cgiar.org With new research showing that forests may absorb up to a third of all fossil fuel emissions, more than 1,000 leading experts, activists, government negotiators and global leaders will gather on the sidelines of the U.N. climate summit […]

Collaborative Partnership on Forests FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE More attention to forest foods and services can improve food security in poor nations 26 October 2011, Rome – The role of forests in providing timber and other wood products must not overshadow their important contribution to feeding many of the world’s poorest communities, a group of international forest organizations and […]