This March, world leaders will gather in Gabon for the One Forest Summit to advance our collective ambition regarding the preservation and sustainable management of rainforests. And PEFC will be there.
The forests of the Congo Basin are one of the last truly untouched forest areas in the world. But there is increasing pressure on these forests as the region’s population grows and looks to the forests as an important driver for economic development.
PEFC is present in the Congo Basin through our three PAFC national members: PAFC Cameroon, PAFC Congo, and PAFC Gabon. Together, under the name of PAFC Congo Basin, these members have jointly developed a regional forest certification system.
“The One Forest Summit was launched at COP 27 by Gabonese President Ali Bongo and French President Emmanuel Macron. They both recognised the environmental and economic value of the Congo Basin Forest and the urgency to act to preserve it,” said Thomas Seyvet, Development Officer, part of the PEFC international team travelling to Gabon for the Summit.
“PAFC puts sustainability at its heart by offering an internationally recognised operational tool tailored to the subregion for forest owners and operators.”
The PAFC regional system seeks to enable the three countries to use and benefit from their forest resource, but doing so in a way that is responsible, that ensures the forests are not just protected, but enhanced.
https://pefc.org/news/pefc-and-pafc-at-the-one-forest-summit