There is growing consensus within the global community that the funding required to conserve the rainforests will generate an economic, environmental and societal return. This is evidenced by the number of proposals and initiatives that have recently emerged from all parts of the world.
Historic meeting of world leaders at St James' Palace
On 1st of April 2009, The Prince of Wales hosted an historic meeting of world leaders. It was agreed to form an international Working Group to study a range of proposals, including those contained here, and to make recommendations for concerted global action to reduce tropical deforestation. Click here to find out more about the meeting.
On 19th of November 2009 a meeting was held at St. James’ Palace to discuss an inter-governmental report produced by this Informal Working Group (IWG) of 35 countries. The IWG report outlines a process that would reward rainforest countries for reducing deforestation rates. Payments would be made on a performance basis, and by ensuring that the forests were worth more alive than dead, the financing is aimed at encouraging rainforest countries to pursue more sustainable forms of economic development.
In May 2010 a meeting held in Oslo attended by Heads of State and Government, ministers and other representatives from some 50 countries concluded an agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Around $4.5 billion has been pledged for the period 2010–2012 to support measures to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. Read more about that agreement here.
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales gave a keynote speech following an introduction by the co-chairs of the meeting, Prime Minister of Norway, Jens Stoltenberg and President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Both co-chairs were kind enough to recognise that The Prince’s work had made a significant contribution to the successful outcome of the REDD+ finance programme. Particular reference was made by them and other Heads of State to the meeting His Royal Highness hosted at St James Palace in April 2009 and the work of the PRP in bringing the forest agenda to the attention of world leaders.
The PRP will now maintain a watching brief as the Governments and NGOs take the process forward. However, we are continuing to work with the public, private and NGO sectors to ensure that agriculture and its relationship with deforestation is maintained as a focus during the implementation of the Partnership Agreement. Our programme on these issues will be linked into our broader work being undertaken by The Prince’s Charities’ International Sustainability Unit (of which the PRP is a part) to help facilitate sustainable agriculture and sustainable fisheries’ management including innovative financial mechanisms to support them.