THE USE AND AUDIENCES OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FOREST SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS by Jari Parviainen Finnish Forest Research Institute, Joensuu

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1 THE USE AND AUDIENCES OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FOREST SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS by Jari Parviainen Finnish Forest Research Institute, Joensuu Inter-C&I Process Harmonization Workshop Bialowieza National Park, Poland June 8-10, 2006

2 THE USE AND AUDIENCES OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL FOREST SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS Content 1. Background 2. Material analysed 3. Characteristics of the report 4. Use and audiences reporting, tool for forest policy, forest management, public information, research initiatives, forest certification 5. Linkages with other sector s reports 6. Conclusions

3 Background C&I provide a balanced compendium of information on SFM broadened the view, new possibilities in compare to the traditional statistics Reporting requirements are increasing overlapping efforts, more coordination required, new aspects, comprehensive reporting is expensive, forest indicators asked for other sector s report

4 Material analysed National reports: MCPFE Montreal process ITTO Austria 2004 Australia 2003 Ghana 2005 Switzerland 2005 Japan 2003 Malaysia 2003 Finland 2000 USA 2003 The Philippines 2005 International reports: Summary review: Europe s Forests in the Spotlight. Based on the State of Europe s Forests The MCPFE Report on Sustainable Forest Management in Europe. Jointly prepared by the MCPFE Liaison Unit Vienna and UNECE/FAO. Montreal Process. First Forest Overview Report 2003 Status of Tropical Forest Management Summary Report. ITTO. A special edition of the Tropical Forest Update 2006/1

5 Characteristics of the reports - National reports National reports C&I frame adjusted to country situation, variation in numbers and intepretation fo indicators Two main audiences: public oriented (MCPFE, partly Montreal) technical for professionals and experts (Montreal and ITTO) Compilation in various ways: group of scientists group of scientists and other stakeholders (panel) group of experts coordinated by governmental authorities by ministries Presenting the data without value-based intepretation or with political messages

6 Characteristics of the reports - International reports International reports Focus: MCPFE present up-to date information on the state of Europe s forests Montreal highlight the progress in the use of C&I in the countries ITTO reports on the status of tropical forest management Audience: wide audience and policy makers (all three reports) Data: MCPFE mainly on data TBFRA of UNECE/FAO Montreal and ITTO are based on country reports

7 International reports, indicators selected MCPFE Montreal Forest resouces Area of forest Health and vitality Deposition Defoliation Damages (storm&insects) (fire) Productive functions Total volume Annual growth/fellings Area for timber Biological diversity Forest types Forest undisturbed Protected forests Protective functions Protective forests Socio-economic Forest ownership Employment Public access Global carbon cycle Biomass and carbon Framework Percent MP ind. reportable

8 Use and audiences - reporting Country reports provide information for national and international use, and are therefore the basic reservoir for reporting The whole reporting process need to be clarified: linkages between national and international re reporting overlapping work and reporting increased coordination timing of various reporting focuses of reports

9 Use and audiences - tool for forest policy Country forest reports assist: in forest policy formulation, goal setting, monitoring on the implementation of national forest programs and policies on national level, and also on country regional or State level National reports can help to create political commitment for C&I and they help to improve the understanding and coordination between the sectors

10 Use and audiences - tool for forest policy Nfp - SFM monitoring/lu Warsaw 16 countries reported that their nfps include SFM monitoring 5 countries pointed out other relevant processes or reported SFM indicators in their nfps Measurement tools used to carry out SFM monitoring MCPFE C&I National Target Levels Base lines Others

11 Use and audiences - tool for forest policy MCPFE C&I for SFM as components of nfp /LU Warsaw 8 countries reported that all MCPFE C&I are component of their nfps 10 countries reported partial application of MCPFE indicators indicators - 6 countries indicators - 4 countries In 3 countries MCPFE indicators have been applied beyond nfps. 50% of respondents reported MCPFE C&I for SFM as a component of nfp

12 Use and audiences - forest management through C&I the concept sustainable forest management can be made both visible and understandable transfer from the paper to the field. Applications are: Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines, forest certification, forest management guidelines (USA, Honduras, Finland ), trainig courses for local people(india ), participatory planning methods, landscape ecological planning, educational uses at universities and vocational level

13 Use and audiences - public information Three main types of reports: technical with the whole set of C&I reports with comprehensive explanations and plenty of figures and photos illustrated reports with reduced number of indicators(brochures) No comprehensive surveys available how users utilize the reports-high level decision makers ask for concentrated information Tendency towards reduced set of indicators

14 Reduced sets of indicators for public audience Finland 1) forest area in comparison to other European countries, 2) forest ownership, 3) annual increment and drain of the growing stock, 4) strictly protected forests in comparison to other European countries, 5) forest health, 6) employment in forestry, 7) recreation 8) wood-based fuel consumption for energy Australia 1) land area of major types of forests illustrated with map 2) commercial plantations, 3) old-growth forests, 4) forest tenure and management with a map, 5) conservation, 6) biodiversity (endangered species), 7) forest products, 8) forest health, 9) value of timber, 10)investment and employment, 11)tourism and recreation 12)issues relating to indigenous people.

15 Use and audiences - research initiatives Compiling of the country report is an excellent example of science policy interfacing Reporting highlights information gaps new research topics, harmonizing the definitions, collaborating with other disciplines, strenghening of data collection Reseach networks and institutes such as IUFRO, EFI, UNU, IPGRI, CIFOR and IIASA closely linked with MCPFE, Montreal and ITTO Goal setting of new research agenda for the future, as example Forest - basedtechnology Platform within Europe

16 Use and audiences - research initiatives COST Action E 27 ( ) Protected Forest Areas in Europe- analysis and harmonization 27 European countries involved MCPFE Classes/Categories EEA IUCN 1 Main Managem ent Objective Biodiversi ty 1.1 No Active Intervention 1.2 A II 1.3 A IV A I 2 Main Management Objective Protection of Landscapes and Specific Natural Elements B III, V, VI

17 Use and audiences - forest certification There is a close connection between C&I and forest certification - both are promoting SFM certification is a voluntary, marked driven tool, an assurance of conformity with a set of agreed standards - but cannot replace the forestry infrastructure created by legislation, forestry financing and active organizations millions hectares PEFC 51 FSC In 2006 more than 260 million hectares of forests are certified by two international systems PEFC and FSC Million ha Area of certified forest, FSC PEFC SFI CSA ATFS

18 LINKAGES BETWEEN POLITICAL INSTRUMENTS AND FOREST CERTIFICATION Case Finland Ministerial Conferences (MCPFE) 1993, 1998, 2003 Criteria and indicators Helsinki resolutions H1 and H2 (1993) Adopted in Lisbon 1998 Updated and revised for Vienna 2003 Helsinki criteria and indicators (27) (Geneve 1994, Antalya 1995) Operational level guidelines (1998) PEFC Framework, since 1999 Forest Policy Actions in Finland Political actions 1. Renewed silvicultural guidelines, since Protection of old forests, 1993 and Renewed Forest Act and Nature Conservation Act National Forest Programme Regional Forest Programmes, since Programme for Forest Biodiversity in South-Finland (METSO) Finnish criteria and indicator for SFM 1995 Renewed C & I in 2000, Annual follow-up by the Finnish Forest Research Institute, renewed set in 2005 Forest Certification development (voluntary markeddriven process) Certification process, since creatingffcs (Finnish Forest Certification System) in certification in the field (95% of forests certified since 1999) - endorsement by PEFC in revision of the standards in reviewed standards in use 2005

19 PEFC s basic pillars for forest certification Regional Political Processes for SFM Subsidiarity and Independence of National Schemes Internationally approved certification and accreditation procedures Multi- stakeholder process Bottom up approach

20 Use and audiences - forest certification FSC Principles and Criteria Principles set by FSC governing body 1. Compliance with laws and FSC principles 2. Tenure and use rights and responsibilities 3. Indigenous peoples rights 4. Community relations and worker s rights 5. Benefits from the forest 6. Environmental impact 7. Management plan 8. Monitoring and Assessment 9. Maintenance of high conservation value forests 10. Plantations

21 Use and audiences - forest certification Mutual recognition: Harmonizing issues between the regional C & I processes Minimum list of indicators required Seven thematic areas (Guatemala 2003, Cebu City 2004): Extent of forest resources Forest health and vitality Productive functions of forests Biological diversity Protective functions of forests Socio-economic benefits and needs Policy and institutional framework

22 Linkages with other sector s reports Sectors that are linked to forestry use forest indicators: economic reports rely on socio-economic forest indicators, biodiversity reports on forest biodiversity indicators etc. Most often forest indicators are included in the environmental, biodiversity or nature reports. Few forest indicators are used: forest area, protected forest area, threatened species or invasive alien species. In Finland indicators for renewable natural resources (agriculture, forestry, fisheries, game and reindeer husbandry, water and natural resources and rural development) was developed in 2004 Forest indicators in other sector s reports are very important for synergies and awareness of forest issues.

23 Conclusions While demand for various reporting is increasing, the aim should be that the information can be reported and verified once, and then used for many different purposes. Clarifications are needed on the linkages between national and international reporting and on the reporting processes. Various reports are needed also for various audiences. For professionals and experts comprehensive reports are the most suitable and useful, but for public audiences, top level policy decision makers and other sectors simple messages and reduced number of selected indicators are more relevant

24 Thank you very much Contact: Jari Parviainen Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), Joensuu Yliopistokatu 6, FIN JOENSUU