ITTO gears up for UNFCCC COP29 to elevate tropical forests in global climate action

Sustainably managed tropical forests and legal supply chains can be essential in fighting climate change and supporting a circular economy. These forests serve as carbon sinks, while sustainable wood offers a renewable, low-carbon alternative to more polluting materials. Sustainable management also boosts forest and community resilience to climate impacts by enhancing productivity, conserving biodiversity, preserving soil and water, and protecting against natural disasters. It provides local food resources during agricultural shortages.

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) supports the global climate goals by helping member countries with initiatives in forest restoration, biodiversity conservation, wildfire prevention, sustainable livelihoods and job creation, and the promotion of legal and sustainable wood supply chains.

ITTO prepares for UNFCCC COP29 to elevate tropical forests in global climate action and willl be actively engaged at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Join us at these events to explore ideas and opportunities for strengthening the role of forests in combating climate change.

11-16 NOVEMBER 2024
Joint booth of ITTO, CIFOR-ICRAF and IUFRO
Exhibition booth | Blue zone 

Visit exhibit booth No. 9 at Blue Zone and discover how the ITTO, The Center for International Forestry Research-World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) unite cutting-edge research, transformative policy solutions, on-the-ground initiatives and community-driven action to harness the full potential of forests and tree-based systems for impactful, science-based climate solutions.

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12 NOVEMBER 2024

16:45 – 18:15 hrs (UTC+4) 
Innovations to maximize tropical forests’ contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation
Side event | Blue zone, Side Event Room 2

The ITTO and the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) will hold a side event to explore innovations to enhance the role of tropical forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The forest sector is evolving with innovations, new technologies and creative partnerships that advance sustainable forest management and climate action (i.e. carbon accounting tools, apps, drones, timber traceability systems, etc). The side event will showcase such nature-based solutions and further uptake.

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13 NOVEMBER 2024

15:00−16:30 (UTC+4)
Grand opening of the Forest Pavilion
Blue zone

Dive into the diverse landscapes, cultures, and innovations of our forests. With interactive exhibits, discussions, and workshops, discover why forests are essential to a climate-resilient future. Join ITTO and its partners as we champion nature-based solutions for sustainable change. Check out the Forest Pavilion Programme here.

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14 NOVEMBER 2024

12:00 hrs (UTC+4)
Round Table on the financing of National Afforestation and Reforestation programs in Africa and around the world
Hilton Hotel Baku

This is an event organized by the Ministry Forest Economy of the Republic of the Congo to follow up on the country’s initiative on national afforestation and reforestation programmes in Africa announced at UNFCCC COP 27 in Egypt with the aim of discussing financing sources and levering partnerships for such initiative.

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15 NOVEMBER 2024

17:30 – 18:45 hrs (UTC+4)
Sustainable Forest Management for Nature-Based Solutions
Seminar | Japan Pavilion and Online

The event will showcase and share experiences on climate-change mitigation and adaptation through sustainable forest management, in particular, the use of forestry as a nature-based solution and its associated benefits in disaster-risk reduction in mountainous and coastal areas. Please check this link for the livestreaming details.

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18 NOVEMBER 2024

14.00 – 15.20 (UTC+4)
Orchestration of Preservation-Based Production Forest Management
Session | Indonesian Pavilion

ITTO’s Jennifer Conje, Director of Forest Management, will deliver a presentation on "Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Production Forests" at the session on developing approaches to preservation-based production forest management.

16:15 – 17:00 (UTC+4)
EUDR and beyond, opportunities and challenges on environmental regulations
Side Event | ISO Pavilion

This side event will explore the multifaceted landscape of environmental regulations such as EUDR, which focus on minimizing the risk of deforestation, and the opportunities and challenges they present. ITTO's Jennifer Conje will join a panel to dive into a critical discussion on the EUDR and to explore how such regulations impact sustainable practices, trade, and tackling climate change. The discussion will highlight innovative approaches to compliance, the role of international cooperation, and the balance between regulatory frameworks and practical implementation, and how tools such as certification can offset potential challenges and create new opportunities. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the regulatory environment and its implications for global environmental sustainability and how tools like certification can support sustainable practices and compliance, especially for smallholders striving to meet regulatory demands. It will look into pathways and innovations helping bridge gaps in traceability and support for equitable and inclusive forestry.
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19 NOVEMBER 2024

17:00−18:00 hrs (UTC+4)
Baku, Belem and Beyond: Forests
WTO Pavilion, Green Zone

The role of forests in mitigating and adapting to climate change has increased in visibility since COP26 in Glasgow, and following the development of the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership. This event will discuss the likely direction of discussions about forests out of the COPs at Baku, Belem and beyond. The event will showcase examples of where forests are delivering increases in biodiversity outcomes, delivering safe and high paid work, diversifying incomes for vibrant regional communities and assisting to decarbonise the built environment. The event will also highlight challenges and opportunities for global collaboration as we seek to end deforestation and meet global climate targets.
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20 NOVEMBER 2024

9:00 – 13:00 hrs (UTC+4)
Sustainable Forest-Based Bioeconomy for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Blue Zone

Together with FAO and the Government of Japan, ITTO co-leads this special day to highlight the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. Forests are under pressure from climate-related stressors, and the global demand for forest-based products is growing. Achieving a sustainable forest-based bioeconomy can support "enhanced efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030," as recognized in the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement while contributing to achieving the SDGs and the Global Forest Goals. The CPF works collectively to support countries in accelerating progress towards achieving these forest-related goals and targets and fully unlocking the potential of forests and their goods and services, including climate mitigation and adaptation. Hosted at the Forest Pavilion by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), this event will explore a range of initiatives supporting the transition towards a sustainable forest-based bioeconomy by strengthening collaboration on sustainable wood-based value chains and encouraging greater use of long-lived harvested wood products to extend forest carbon benefits, including in the building sector. CPF members and partners are also supporting countries in enhancing forest product data transparency, building capacity for carbon accounting, and mobilizing new investments and innovations in forest product value chains to support the transition to carbon-neutral economies. Participants will also hear how governments, NGOs, private sector representatives, academia, Indigenous Peoples, youth and other stakeholders are taking action at the global, regional and national levels toward realizing the multi-faceted potential of the forest-based bioeconomy – with a focus on its essential role in climate action. 

11:25 – 12:35 hrs (UTC+4)
Finance and investment in forest product value chains for climate action
Session 3 | Main stage, Forest Pavilion (inside the SDG pavilion), Blue zone

In the context of broader discussions on climate finance at COP29, this session will explore how mobilizing new investments, including from the private sector, can support the development of the sustainable forest-based bioeconomy and accelerate the transition to carbon neutral economies.  Participants will also discuss opportunities for leveraging partnerships between the private sector and other stakeholders to enable and scale forest product value chain innovations for climate action. Examples will showcase on-the-ground solutions that have increased sustainability, efficiencies, and added value and promote investments in forest product value chains, with clear connections to climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.

15:00 hrs (UTC+4)
Forest Talk: Leveraging and engaging the private sector 
Social media stage, Forest Pavilion (inside the SDG pavilion), Blue zone

This segement of the Forest Talk will be a conversation will provide an opportunity to highlight how engagement of the private sector is enabling financial innovations to support the forest-based bioeconomy.

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For more details, please contact rfm@itto.int.