Letter to EU president Barosso on Biofuels and Indirect Land Use Change

Wetlands International together with over 100 environmental and civil society NGOs have written to the European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso and his Commissioner colleagues, calling for the full climate impact of biofuels, including indirect land use change (ILUC), to be taken into account in EU environmental laws

Letter to European governments on carbon dense fuels

Wetlands International signed the letter of a coalition of European  NGOs to the governments and Commission on banning carbon dense fuels. The NGOs ask to take all emissions in the product life cycle into account. This would imply a ban on fuels like biodiesel from palm oil and oils sands.

Letter to EU president Barosso on Biofuels and Land Use Change

 22 September 2011. Wetlands International together with several environmental NGOs have written to the European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, demanding action on five scientific studies that question the clean energy benefits of biofuels.

Briefing: biofuels and indirect land-use change (ILUC)

This letter asks for attention for the global Land Use Change impacts caused by the European biofuel targets such as deforestation and wetland loss. The organanisations call for a so-called ILUC-factor; emissions to be added to the accounted emissions for producing biofuels.

Impact of oil palm plantations on peatland conversion in Sarawak 2005-2010

The report provides sequenced maps and statistics on the area of peatlands converted for oil palm plantations in Sarawak from 2005-2010. It builds on forest cover change and plantation concession boundary mapping results from the ongoing project ‘Transparent Mapping for Sustainabe Oil Palm Plantation Development’. This document briefly reports on the results of project activities providing maps and associated statistics on the impact of oil palm plantations on forest and peatland conversion in Sarawak during the period 2005-2010.

Driving to Destruction

Paper made by the NGOs working together in the EU on the European biofuels policy. The Paper describes how the European biofuels policy will cause indirect land use change of a magnitude of 69 000 km² of forests, wetlands and other ecosystems; an area twice the size of Belgium.

A Quick Scan of Peatlands in Malaysia

This  report  presents  the  first  national  assessment  of  peatlands  in Malaysia.  It  identifies  remaining peatlands  of  high  conservation  value,  the loss of peatlands and the use of these carbon dense area for for instance palm oil production.

Submission on On Indirect Land-Use Change regarding the EU biofuel policies

In this document, Wetlands International prrovides comments to the European Commission public consultation on indirect land-use change (October 2010).

Policy brief into World Bank Palm Oil Strategy Consultations

Wetlands International participated in a multi-stakeholder consultation process organised by World Bank on 3-4 June 2010 which aimed to identify how World Bank can address issues facing the palm oil sector. Since there are increasing concerns about sustainability issues in the sector, particularly related to palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia (the two largest producers of crude palm oil) the World Bank Group is undertaking this strategy preparation exercise for its activities and future direction for the palm oil sector. This policy brief holds Wetlands International’s input to this meeting. 

Input for the 2020 targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Input from Wetlands International on the draft targets for 2020 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Need for the Review of the UNFCCC’s Forest-Related Terms, Definitions and Classifications

Allowing plantations to be classed as forests for the purpose of enabling engagement with emerging carbon trading markets will create perverse incentives that actually finance conversion of natural forests by wood / paper product and oil palm plantation companies with the associated significant loss of biodiversity1. The conversion of natural forests, whether to wood plantations or oil palm plantations, creates substantial greenhouse gas emissions, with up to 80% of carbon lost to the atmosphere depending on the type of forest ecosystem and the type of plantation which replaces it.

Joint NGO Submission to CBD SBSTTA on forest, climate and biofuels programmes of work

The organisations of Pro Natura (Friends of the Earth Switzerland), Wetlands International, Humane
Society International and The Wilderness Society are working together in order to strengthen and safeguard biodiversity aspects in climate change mitigation policy, with the aim to create synergies in incentives to conserve forests, wetlands, peatlands and other natural habitats. We have engaged ourselves since 2008 in the context of the UNFCCC negotiations. The CBD has an important role in addressing biodiversity aspects in the UNFCCC negotiations. We therefore wish to make joint a proposal related to these topics to the 14th SBSTTA of the CBD in Nairobi.

Indonesia Programme's Summary 2005-2009

This publication is a 5-year overview of the activities of the Wetlands International Indonesia Programme (WI-IP). Wetlands International Indonesia Programma (WI-IP) is part of the global network of Wetlands International, working at global, regional, national and local levels to achieve the goals of conservation and wise use of wetlands, as a contribution to the realisation of sustainable development. Its mission is:  to sustain and conserve wetlands, including their resources and biodiversity for future generations. To achieve this mission, WI-IP does and will continue to work together with all relevant elements of society and government, including educational institutions, media and the private sector. 

Peat swamp forests and palm oil

This presentation was made for the meeting with EU at the end of January 2010. It discusses the following issues: 

• Where and what are peatlands
• Peatland loss and carbon emissions
• Biofuels, palm oil and peatland loss
• What is / should be done

Information sheet on palm oil & peatlands

This paper shines light on the issue of greenhouse gas emissions due to conversion of areas with peatsoils for palm oil production, including for biodiesel. The paper will focus on palm oil in Southeast Asia; the most relevant area for vegetable oil production on peatlands, with alarming greenhouse gas emissions as a result.