Date and time: Thursday 17 May 2012, 20.00 –21.30hrs
Venue: Room “Wind”, Ministry of Environment (MoE), Bonn
Download the flyer
Download the presentations:
Peatland Opportunities by Hans Joosten, Greifswald University
Peatland Code for the UK by Aletta Bonn, IUCN UK Peatland Programme
Tropical peatlands, challenges and opportunities by Marcel Silvius, Wetlands International (coming soon)
FAO and Wetlands International invite countries and observers to the launch of the global 'Organic Soils and Peatlands Climate Change Mitigation Initiative'. The event presents the activities of the Initiative to promote emissions reductions under the UN Climate Convention through the policies Reducing Emissions of Deforestation and forest Degrdation (REDD+), Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA's); and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry of the Kyoto Protocol (LULUCF).
Peatlands are major carbon stores. However, when they are drained and used – mainly for agriculture, grazing and forestry – peatlands become significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from peatlands drainage and peat fires are responsible for almost one quarter of carbon emissions from the land use sector. Peatlands' vital role in avoiding and reducing GHG emissions, as well as in water regulation and biodiversity conservation, is insufficiently recognized. Peatlands conservation and restoration, and improved peatlands management are realistic goals and well within our grasp. It is low-hanging fruit in our efforts to make progress on climate change mitigation, adaptation and climate-smart agriculture.
Speakers at the event include representatives from FAO, UNEP, IUCN, Greifswald University and Wetlands International. Download the flyer
A new publication ‘Peatlands – guidance for climate change mitigation by conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable use’ will be launched in the event. Download the publication at http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/an762e/an762e.pdf
- Catering provided after the event –
The Organic Soils and Peatlands Climate Change Mitigation Initiative is an informal network of organizations and people interested in reducing emissions from peatlands and safeguarding their other vital ecosystem services. Institutions involved in the initiative at the moment include FAO, Wetlands International, Greifswald University, IUCN UK, Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, the Center for International Forestry Research(CIFOR), Global Environment Centre (GEC), the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the University of Helsinki.
For more information:
www.fao.org/climatechange/micca | www.wetlands.org/peatclimate