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Friday, 19.04.2024, 07:38
Estonia joins declaration of climate friendly forest management
States endorsing the document confirm that forest management
plays an important role in attaining the objectives of the Paris Agreement,
spokespeople for the Estonian Ministry of the Environment said.
"As Estonia is rich in woodland, adopting the
declaration is of great importance to us. We have stepped into a new era when
it comes to decreasing the impact of climate change and adapting to it, and
forests have a significant role in it," Minister of the Environment Siim
Kiisler was quoted in a press release as saying.
"Forests are the main carbon sinks. Thus we cannot
overlook forests' vulnerability to climate changes. Climate policy must ensure
that carbon dioxide emissions are reduced and that forests' maximum resilience
to the impact of climate change is guaranteed," Kiisler said.
The declaration focuses on comprehensive and sustainable
management of forests.
"Estonia is at the forefront of the European Union when
it comes to the share of strictly protected forests. Our woodlands are
managed sustainably, maintaining their viability, biodiversity and the
stability thereof," Kiisler said, adding that when it comes to forest
management, Estonia's principle is that the woodlands should provide economic,
social, environmental as well as cultural benefits both to generations of today
as well as to those of the future. "When we follow those principles, UN
positions on sustainable management of forests are supported, too," he
said.
The Ministerial Declaration on Forests for the Climate was
initiated by Poland, the organizer of the climate conference. The political
declaration focuses on the role of forests in mitigating climate change and
adapting to it on a global scale.
As forests have a decisive role to play in the sequestration
and storage of carbon, the destruction and deterioration of forests must be
decreased in the world. Forests' capacity as carbon sinks and their aptitude
for adapting to climate change needs to be improved by means of sustainable
forest management. Forests' role as an important agent in other areas must be
taken into consideration as well, it is said in the declaration.