Governments, businesses and communities across Southeast Asia must find new ways of thinking and acting, participants at the Forests Asia Summit in Jakarta heard, with the world’s top climate scientist referring to climate change as an “opportunity”, and a leading financier pointing out that there is plenty of money to fund sustainable development.
 
The Summit, which was attended by about 2,200 people and watched online by another 6,000, came at a time when “the world is at a turning point,” in the words of CIFOR Director General Dr. Peter Holmgren.
 
“Decisions are to be made on the international arena over the next 18 months that may shape our common future for generations to come,” Holmgren said in his welcoming address. “Forests and landscapes in Asia are a critical part of that future.”

• OUTCOME STATEMENT: Read the key messages here.
• CONFERENCE VIDEO ARCHIVE: All plenary sessions, high-level panels and discussion forums are now online. Visit the Forests Asia Summit playlist to catch up.
• PRESS RELEASES: Read roundups of each day's activities here.
• SLIDESHOWS: PowerPoint presentations made in Discussion Forums are now available.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged his successor to extend a ban on the issuance of new logging licenses. Arguing that “more remains to be done”, Yudhoyono called upon governments across Southeast Asia to steer clear of a “self-destructing path of development” and commit to sustainable land-use and investment practices.

Southeast Asian Ministers speak:

• MYANMAR: Minister U Win Tun “fully committed” to green growth and insists that “individual countries cannot overcome interconnected problems” of poverty, inequality, environmental degradation and economic instability.
• SINGAPORE: Minister Vivian Balakrishnan says the root of the haze crisis is “misaligned commercial interests”.
• BRUNEI: Minister Pehin Dato Yahya Bakar commits to limiting Brunei’s agricultural footprint to 1 percent of land area while improving yields to achieve food security.
• PHILIPPINES: Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio shares ambitious commitment to plant 1.5 billion trees across his country to reverse decades of deforestation.
• VIETNAM: Deputy Director Dr. Nguyen Ba Ngai speaks about Vietnam’s achievements in rolling out payment for forest ecosystem services.
• LAO PDR: Vice Minister Akhom Tounalom highlights the country’s forest and land management policies to address hydropower development and forest product certification.

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru’s Minister of Environment and President of the UNFCCC COP20 in Lima, called for forestry to be at the core of any future climate change agreement. Highlighting the complementary position of Latin American and Southeast Asian countries in the lead-up to the next climate agreement, Pulgar-Vidal said “this agreement will be reached from the bottom up” and must be inclusive of indigenous people, the private sector, scientists and policymakers.

The Road to COP20 in Lima:

• GLOBAL LANDSCAPES FORUM 2014: In a video message at the Forests Asia Summit, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, officially announced that the Global Landscapes Forum will take place in Lima, Peru, on 6-7 December. More than 1,500 policy leaders and experts from forestry, agriculture and other land-use sectors will come together to define the role of sustainable landscapes in climate and development agendas. Visit www.landscapes.org for more information.

Youth in Southeast Asia can act as a “bridge” between other youth, businesses, government and local communities, and should be given the skills and forums to do so, participants at the Special Youth Session of the Forests Asia Summit argued. About 150 of Southeast Asia’s best and brightest young minds came together to discuss pathways to a sustainable future, generating key recommendations for enhancing the role of youth in building that future.

• A call to see the forests for the trees in Indonesia – The Wall Street Journal
• Peatland fires biggest contributor to carbon emissions: Researcher – The Jakarta Globe
• Yudhoyono urges successor to extend logging licence ban – Channel News Asia
• Delegates close ranks on green growth strategies – SciDevNet
• Anti-haze Bill “to be tabled later this year”, says Vivian Balakrishnan – The Straits Times
• Myanmar “committed” to sustainable and green growth: Minister – Myanmar Business Today

From national parks and tea plantations in Indonesia to rivers and mountains in India — the winning images in the Forests Asia Summit photo competition capture the great diversity of forests, landscapes and what they mean to people across Asia. Here is the jury’s selection:
 

	Morning Fogs at Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park		Spider and Mushroom		Selecting the finest tea
	See you in a few years		Catch the life		Morning at Dramaga Research Forest
	Forest-dependent people and non-timber forest products		Help our orangutans		Lahu Basket Weaver: Weaving the basket