At the Africa Climate Summit 2 in Addis Ababa, Dr. Harrison O. Kojwang (PhD), Senior Advisor at the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), highlighted the critical role forests play in climate mitigation and sustainable development. Speaking at the summit, he emphasised that forests not only store significant amounts of carbon but also provide vital ecosystems, habitats for diverse life, and essential services upon which human survival depends.
Dr. Kojwang noted, “Forests provide hydrological services, protect soils and water, and offer medicinal resources and foods. The life within forests is an important heritage for Africa and the world.”
He further explained that as a global certification organisation actively promoting sustainable forest management across sub-Saharan Africa, FSC recognises the need for responsible harvesting. He stated that harvesting must be judicious, verifiable, and sensitive to a country’s economic, environmental, and social imperatives. “Our standard balances environmental, economic, and social concerns to ensure local communities are not marginalised,” Dr. Kojwang said.
Concluding his address, he emphasised that forests should remain forests to support their many functions, adding that FSC’s mission, promoting sustainable forest management, is ecologically sound, politically resonant, and vital for Africa’s future.
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