Lab Member Engagements at COP29
COP29 Side Event of the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan
Advancing the Quality and Integrity of Forestry Climate NbS: Challenges, Innovations, and Strategies
November 20, 2024, Wednesday 18:30—20:00
SE Room 9, COP29 UN Climate Conference Blue Zone
Abstract: This side event, co-hosted by University of British Columbia (UBC), American Forest Foundation (AFF), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Balance Eco Foundation, Université Laval, and Zhejiang A&F University (ZAFU), will focus on advancing high-integrity forestry-based nature-based solutions (NbS) as critical tools for addressing climate change, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting socio-economic development. Featuring insights from global experts, the event will address pressing challenges and opportunities in forest carbon projects, including those specific to bamboo, and explore how these solutions can be scaled effectively in the global carbon market.
Proposed Agenda:
| Keynote Presentations – Foundations of High-Integrity Forestry NbS | |
| Moderator: Chunyu Pan, PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia | |
| 18:30-19:00 | Global Trends in Forest Carbon Trading: Current Challenges and Future Directions (10 mins) Guangyu Wang, Associate Dean, Faculty of Forestry, UBC |
| Biodiversity Credit Mechanism Assisting High-Quality Development of Nature Market (10 minutes) Yuanzhe Chen, Secretary General, Chinese Institute of Green Carbon | |
| Q&A (10 mins) | |
| Panel Session – Practical Applications and Scaling of High-Integrity NbS | |
| Moderator: Guangyu Wang, Associate Dean, Faculty of Forestry, UBC | |
| 19:00-19:20 | Introductory Remarks (20 minutes): |
| Funding integrity: social, environmental, and climate benefits to carbon projects (5 mins) Christine Cadigan, Executive Vice President, American Forest Foundation (AFF) | |
| Efficiency, Reduction, then Balance™ Environmental Impact – Plant and Protect Biodiverse Forests (5 minutes) Dan Morrell, CEO, Balance ECO Foundation | |
| Verified Impact, a collaborative way to capture high-quality climate and nature data from FSC-certified forests (5 minutes) Jorge Matallana, Manager, Climate & Ecosystem Services, FSC | |
| Scaling Bamboo Carbon Projects for Real and Additional Climate Mitigations: Methodologies and Standards (5 mins) Guomo Zhou, Former President and Professor, Zhejiang A&F University | |
| 19:20-20:00 | Panel Discussion (40 minutes) |
| Christine Cadigan, Executive Vice President, American Forest Foundation (AFF) | |
| Dan Morrell, CEO, Balance ECO Foundation | |
| Jorge Matallana, Manager, Climate & Ecosystem Services, FSC | |
| Guomo Zhou, Former President and Professor, Zhejiang A&F University | |
Contacts: Chunyu Pan, +1 (778) 522-3517, chunyu.pan@ubc.ca, darthpan@student.ubc.ca
Panel Discussion Topics
- Defining High Integrity in Carbon Projects:
Panelists will discuss what constitutes “high integrity” in carbon projects, focusing on the importance of social, environmental, climate, and biodiversity outcomes. The discussion will emphasize the need for NbS that protect and enhance biodiversity while delivering measurable climate benefits, establishing a foundation for scaling projects that earn broad-based support.
- Transitioning the Voluntary Carbon Market to Higher Quality Standards:
This segment will address the necessity of public and private investment in robust methodologies that uphold integrity and credibility across carbon projects. Panelists will discuss current challenges related to biodiversity and carbon accounting, as well as innovations in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) to maintain transparency and ensure that biodiversity and climate goals are both met effectively.
- Financial Mechanisms to Support High-Integrity, Biodiverse Projects:
Reflecting on frameworks like Article 6 and the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), panelists will explore ways to secure financing for NbS projects that prioritize biodiversity, community engagement, and climate impacts. Emphasis will be placed on financial strategies that attract diverse sources of investment to support high-quality, biodiverse NbS that deliver real socio-economic and ecological benefits.
- Bamboo as a Globally Scalable Model for High-Integrity, Biodiverse NbS:
Focusing on bamboo’s potential and scalability, panelists will explore how bamboo can serve as a globally applicable NbS due to its rapid growth and high carbon absorption capacity. Discussions will cover bamboo’s role in carbon sequestration, prospects for adoption in diverse geographies, and the socio-economic benefits it offers, particularly for rural development. Panelists will assess the feasibility of integrating bamboo-based projects within global carbon markets as a replicable model alongside other forest types.
And more…
