DECEMBER 18, 2009 – “The decisions taken in Copenhagen will be forever remembered as a measure of the courage of our generation. This is a decisive moment - we must ensure that it is a decisive success.”
– Dr Fred Boltz, Senior Vice President for Global Strategies & Climate Change, CI
DECEMBER 17, 2009 – "We applaud this important commitment of this group of leading industrialized nations to REDD+. The $3.5 billion that these nations have pledged is an important start, but it is inadequate. To address climate change, we must stop deforestation."
– Peter Seligmann, CEO of Conservation International, and Russell A. Mittermeier, President, in reference to the offer of $3.5billion dollars announced today by the US, Australia, France, Japan, Norway and Britain for forest protection in developing countries.
DECEMBER 16, 2009 – "They really need to bring in the big guns to resolve those [key questions on Reducing Emissions From Deforestation in Developing Countries]. This isn't anything more than a paper agreement if the financing isn't there to back it up."
– Becky Chacko, Director of Climate Policy, CI
DECEMBER 15, 2009 – "What we need now is for the US and other developed countries to provide the funding that will make it possible to end deforestation in our generation and take a major step in resolving the climate crisis."
– Dr Fred Boltz, Senior Vice President for Global Strategies & Climate Change, CI
DECEMBER 14, 2009 – "The businesses that don't want action on climate aren't making themselves heard at Copenhagen. Instead you're seeing businesses that want a climate treaty — and that's a good thing.”
– Glenn Pricket, Senior Vice President and Executive Director Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB) at CI, Senior Fellow, United Nations Foundation
DECEMBER 12, 2009 – “At Copenhagen, Indonesia truly has the chance to prove that it has come of age, put its colonial past behind it and is prepared to become a world-leader in its own right - taking a stand against climate change that will both inspire a new respect for this nation and help to build a proud future for us and our children.”
– Jatna Supriatna, Regional Vice President, Indonesia Program, CI
DECEMBER 11, 2009 – “The priority of REDD+ funding, should, of course, be the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation– but REDD+ offers many other benefits, and one of the key ones is the huge impact it will have on biodiversity conservation.”
– Celia Harvey, Vice President of Global Change and Ecosystem Services, CI
DECEMBER 11, 2009 – “The bottom line is that the more forest we protect, especially old growth forests, the better the result for both climate change and for conservation. Properly implemented, a REDD+ mechanism that maximizes forest cover can have massive positive benefits for biodiversity. But the way REDD+ is implemented is critical. It’s essential that REDD+ does not allow for conversion of natural forests to plantations and it must benefit local communities and indigenous peoples and respect their rights.”
– Cyril Kormos, Vice President for Policy, WILD Foundation
DECEMBER 9, 2009 – “Protecting forests to prevent climate change needs the support of the delegates here in Copenhagen, but it also needs to have the support of the people who depend on these forests to survive.”
– Joanna Durbin of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA)
DECEMBER 9, 2009 – “The REDD+ Social & Environmental Standards represent probably the best opportunity at the moment not only to influence future policies on REDD but also to check the actual delivery of other social benefits through the implementation of Socio Bosque.”
– Marco Chiu, Advisor to the Undersecretary of Natural Patrimony, Ministry of Environment of Ecuador
DECEMBER 9, 2009 – “It is important to strengthen governance, environmental justice and payment for environmental services in REDD and forestry. It is also critical to support safeguarding the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in REDD implementation process at national to local level.”
– Bhola Bhattarai, General Secretary of Federation Of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN)
DECEMBER 9, 2009 – “Many forest peoples have high expectations for REDD – that their crucial role as stewards of much of the world’s natural forest will at last be fully recognised. But there is also real concern that REDD will finance ill-conceived protection measures that will seriously undermine the livelihoods and rights of forest peoples. These risks are particularly significant for Indigenous Peoples, women and other marginalised groups.”
– Phil Franks, CARE International