Forests are an important link in transition to a green economy and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, defining an accurate value of some environmental and social services provided by forest remains a major challenge. No universal assessment method for these services exists, instead a range of approaches have been developed over the past few years.
On 21 October 2016, the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section will organise a one day workshop to assess the role of the forest sector in a green economy. The workshop will be link to the implementation of the Rovaniemi Action Plan for the Forest Sector in a Green Economy, in particular Pillar E – Policy development and monitoring of the forest sector in relation to a green economy.
The workshop will analyse the consistency of the present forest sector valuation systems with approaches developed by other sectors in the context of green economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It will take stock of existing approaches for measuring the economic values of natural capital and the forest sector’s contribution to a green economy. It will examine how the forest sector is taken into account in these methods and how they are aligned with the assessment systems, in particular criteria and indicators, developed by the forest sector. The event will feature:
- An overview of existing definitions related to green economy;
- Taking stock of internationally developed assessment methods for a green economy;
- Examples of existing measurement methods at sectoral and national levels;
- Discussion on synergies and gaps between assessment methods for a green economy and the forest sector.
Speakers will include experts from international organisations and governments. Delegates will be invited to provide voluntary statements on green economy and forest sector assessment methods developed in their countries and sectors.