Why transforming how we conserve and manage forests is an essential climate solution, equivalent in scope and impact to how we transform our energy and transportation sectors. Explains that forest-based emissions are not contemplated to be under any capped systems, and therefore in order to address the root causes of these emissions, other tools to reduce and reverse forest loss and degradation are needed. Forest Carbon offsets are one key tool that can be an effective business-to-business based approach, but thet must be rigorous and long-term (at least 100 years). Examines why the compliance-based offsets under the California Air Resources Board are the most effective forest carbon offsets, and also discusses other, more forest sector-based tools and approaches that must be deployed, from vastly increasing the use of permanent conservation easements on managed forest, to instituting procurement and contracting standards that require forest products from conserved, well-managed forests, to state-backed rating systems for products that come from forests with beneficial climate-based management.
Presenter: Laurie Wayburn (Pacific Forest Trust)
