Online Press Conference on Thursday, 18 March 2021 at 10 a.m. CET in support of the UN International Day of Forests |
Why we need to restore forests, and how we import deforestation |
BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 15, 2021 / -- WHAT: On the path to recovery from COVID-19, and in the lead-up to the UN International Day of Forests which will take place on Sunday, 21 March 2021, Cities4Forests, a global initiative of more than 60 cities and on the interdependence between forests and cities, will convene an online press conference on 18 March 2021 for journalists from Africa, Europe, and Asia to learn more about the value of forests for ensuring climate resilience, supporting human well-being, biodiversity restoration and more.
The Cities4Forests initiative is supported by the REVOLVE Group (a communication partner to numerous European Union projects and to different global and regional initiatives), as a founding partner and organizer of the press conference; attending journalists will learn about the need for green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and the overall importance of forests in and around cities as well as globally, in particular for the continuously increasing number of urban residents.
Media Kits in English, French and Spanish will be provided about (1) the value of forests, (2) the concept of imported deforestation, (3) International Day of Forests with the theme “Forest Restoration: A pathway to recovery” and (4) the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2020 – 2030).
Forests continue to be cut down at an alarming pace globally, largely to feed our consumption patterns. 80% of deforestation is linked to the expansion of agriculture, with land being cleared to make way for grazing animals and to grow crops. Forests contain 60,000 different tree species, 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species, and 68% of the world’s mammal species.
WHERE: Online via ZOOM
Please REGISTER here for accreditation and to receive ZOOM log-in details: https://APO-opa.com/revolve-en
Language: English (with simultaneous translation from English to French)
SPEAKERS: Dr. Elvis Paul Tangem, Coordinator of the Great Green Wall Initiative, Africa Union; Tadashi Matsumoto, Head of Sustainable Urban Development Unit, OECD; Nicole Polsterer, Sustainable Consumption and Production Campaigner at FERN.
Details: Why forests are so important and valuable: Forests cover one third of the Earth’s surface and provide habitats for most of the Earth’s land-based biodiversity. Their importance to our lives is often overlooked due to their distance and size in comparison to our cities. But forests remain as ever life-giving ecosystems, teeming with numerous species of flora and fauna, and acting as massive carbon sequestration bodies that contribute to water cycles, thus contributing to regulating global temperatures. Forests provide may ecosystem services and products that are critical to society, from natural ingredients for medicines and wood-based products for buildings and infrastructure to clean water and fertile soils. Further, forests enhance biodiversity, climate resilience, and improve human health.
On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns. The official theme of the 2021 UN International Day of Forests is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being”.
During this online press conference, journalists will have the opportunity to hear from the three experts and ask questions related to their territories to enable them report more precisely with facts and figures, and with quotes from experts in line with the upcoming International Day of Forests 2021. |
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