Highlights and images for 15 November 2017

Germany

Summary

This event convened on 15 November 2017, in Bonn, Germany, on the sidelines of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It was organized by UN Environment, and the objective was to launch the rapid response assessment ‘Smoke on Water: Countering Global Threats from Peatland Loss and Degradation,’ and hear case studies from Indonesia, Republic of the Congo and DRC.

IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided web coverage of the event on “Smoke on Water: Countering Global Threats from Peatland Loss and Degradation.” In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a briefing note of the event in HTML and PDF.

Photos by IISD/ENB | Herman Njoroge Chege
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L-R: Amy Ambatobe Nyongolo, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, DRC; Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia; and Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of Tourism and the Environment, Republic of the Congo

Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment, said that peatlands are the main historical carbon stock.

Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia, said that the restoration agenda in Indonesia is science-driven and will lead to new insights in tropical peatland management.

Hans Joosten, Greifswald Mire Centre, urged “keeping peatlands wet.”

Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of Tourism and Environment, Republic of the Congo, called for support in the preservation of peatlands in her country.

Tim Christophersen, UN Environment, said that it was more cost-effective to conserve peatlands intact than to restore them.

Amy Ambatobe Nyongolo, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, DRC, called on countries to conserve peatlands in order to mitigate climate change.

Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia; and Arlette Soudan-Nonault, Minister of Tourism and Sustainable Development, Republic of the Congo

Participants listen to panelists discuss the importance of peatland preservation.

Bernd Hofer, Chair, International Peatland Society Commission on Peatlands and Environment, said his organization serves 4000 members around the world.

Participants document the high level panelists deliver their speeches.

Participants during the event