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Commonwealth NGOs
related to forestry | | |
 Global Canopy Programme
HQ situated in U.K.
Website: www.globalcanopy.org
Type of NGO: NGO,
Interest in Forestry: central
Contact method: email : info@globalcanopy.org
Description:
The Global Canopy Programme is an alliance of 37 scientific institutions in 19 countries, which lead
the world in forest canopy research, education and conservation.
The GCP is helping to plug major gaps in knowledge. The structure, function and resilience of the world’s
forest canopy environment are unknown. Almost half of all terrestrial life forms could exist in
forest canopies, but only a small fraction has been documented. The influence of forest canopies on
climate change, their role in maintaining the earth’s biological diversity, and the other vital ecosystem
services they provide to humanity at local to global scales is still little understood.
Time is not on our side as the conversion of ancient forests proceeds apace worldwide. Policy and positive
incentive mechanisms based on sound science must urgently be developed to preserve these
vital forest utilities for humanity. All our efforts are now focused on shedding light on these
issues. Today, our 3 main programmes - in science, policy and finance - aim to define and explore the
range
and economic value of forest ecosystem services and to share our findings with decision-makers in Government
and finance.
With help from the UK’s Darwin Initiative and the FCO Global Opportunities Fund, GCP canopy training
programmes in Brazil, Malaysia and Britain are helping to build a platform for new scientific
leadership in forest science. We are supporting scientific research on forest canopy ecosystem
services through the 'Valuing forests as Eco-Utilities' project, Project IBISCA and the proposed
Whole Forest Observatory network. We are also playing a key role in the policy arena,
through the Forests NOW Campaign. In the finance sector we are working with Governments of forested
nations to establish pilot projects to demonstrate that payments for ecosystem services could become
traded in the voluntary markets. If successful this could generate significant revenues to countries,
on a scale of current agribusinesses such as soya, palm oil and beef. If we can use commerce as an ally
and create new market mechanisms in ecosystem services, we will not only further the cause of
forest conservation but also, by reducing deforestation, help mitigate up to 25% of greenhouse gases,
which are causing climate change.
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