APPENDIX 9
Memorandum from The Woodland Trust
1. The Woodland Trust welcomes this opportunity
to respond to this inquiry. The Trust is the UK's leading woodland
conservation charity. We achieve our purposes through acquiring
woodland and sites for planting and advocacy of the importance
of protecting ancient woodland, enhancing its biodiversity, expanding
woodland cover and increasing public enjoyment of woodland. We
own over 1,100 sites across the country, covering around 19,000
hectares (47,000 acres) and we have 250,000 members and supporters.
2. We will focus on what we believe is one
of the main achievements of the Summit, the UK Forest Partnership
for Action, a copy of which is attached with this evidence.[20]
HOW FAR
THE UK GOVERNMENT
CAPITALISED ON
THE SUMMIT
TO RAISE
AWARENESS OF
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ISSUES AT
HOME
3. The Government did not do enough to raise
awareness of sustainable development issues at home. The Summit
provided an excellent opportunity to push sustainable development
up the agenda. The process did have the commitment of several
ministers in DEFRA and some in DFID and there have some positive
steps across Government such as the recent publication of the
First Annual Report on Sustainable Development in Government,
and continuing Treasury commitment to promoting sustainable development.
4. The principles of sustainable development
should be central to Government policy and should be promoted
as such, however, progress is patchy across Government and often
does not seem to back up the rhetoric. The proposals for massive
airport expansion that would seriously damage irreplaceable habitats
such as ancient woodland and last year's Planning Green Paper
are examples of continuing lack of commitment to sustainable development
in other departments.
HOW THE
COMMITMENTS MADE
AT THE
SUMMIT COULD/SHOULD
RESHAPE EXISTING
UK POLICIES/STRATEGIES
OR ACT
AS THE
CATALYST FOR
NEW INITIATIVES
5. Although there was no international agreement
on forestry at the Summit and there was no real discussion of
the vitally important issue of climate change, for the Woodland
Trust one of the key achievements that came out of the Summit
process was the development of the UK Forest Partnership for Action.
This was the product of partnership working between government,
business and NGOs.[21]
The approach adopted by the partnership was extremely constructive
and it received welcome support from the Minister for Forestry.
The group developed a document outlining clear action points which
was launched at the Summit, a copy of which is attached to this
evidence, and it plans to develop these targets into a programme
of action.
6. The commitments contained in the document
mark a significant step forwards in terms of re-affirming commitments
to protect the irreplaceable at home and abroad and also to clamp
down on illegal logging and promote sustainable use of timber.
The fact that DEFRA, DFID, the Forestry Commission, the National
Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland
Forest Service have signed up to this document indicates that
government may be prepared to address the gaps in current policy.
7. The Partnership provides a focus on points
of policy that need to be developed. An example of this is the
action point to "Develop joined-up approaches to ensure effective
support for protection and restoration of wooded landscape habitats,
including the establishment and management of protected areas,
to ensure that all ancient woodland is adequately protected."[22]
Currently ancient woodland is not adequately protected in the
UK, and this commitment to develop joined-up approaches to address
the issue is a positive development.
8. It is important that the group now continues
the partnership working to ensure that momentum is carried through
into tangible actions, and we look forward to contributing towards
this process.
HOW FAR
THE GOVERNMENT
HAS MAINTAINED
STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE
POST-JOHANNESBURG
TO INFORM
ITS IMPLEMENTATION
OF SUMMIT
COMMITMENTS
9. Government has maintained its commitment
to the UK Forest Partnership for Action after the Summit with
the government signatories appearing more than willing to continue
the constructive dialogue and partnership working that has been
developed. The Partnership should continue to make a positive
contribution to forestry and will deliver a wide range of public
benefits in the future, but this will require consistent cross-Government
co-operation and commitment by departments other than DEFRA, DFID
and the Forestry Commission alone.
November 2002
20 UK Forest Partnership for Action-A new partnership
within the UK of Government, business and environmental groups
to promote sustainable development in the forest sector, both
at home and internationally-Not printed here; available on the
Woodland Trust's website at http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/policy/publicationsmore/ukforestpartnership1.pdf Back
21
Signatories to the Partnership are DEFRA, DFID, Forest Industries
Development Council, Forestry Commission, Kingfisher plc, National
Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Forest Service, RSPB, Scottish
Executive, Timber Trade Federation, The Woodland Trust and WWF-UK. Back
22
UK Forest Partnership for Action (2002) UK Forest Partnership
for Action, p6 (not printed here-see http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/policy/publicationsmore/ukforestpartnership1.pdf Back
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