See more coverage of this event on the main IISD ENB website

We have launched a new website to better share our reports of global environmental negotiations.

As well as current coverage of new negotiations, you can find our original reports from this event by clicking here.



INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORKING GROUP ON FORESTS (IWGF) REPORT

Concepts

In order to demonstrate sustainability, it is necessary to identify all the valuable features, which constitute the criteria. It is important to show changes over time for each criterion and to indicate how well each criterion reaches the objectives set for it.

A criterion describes the different sides of sustainability on a conceptual level. It is a distinguishing element or set of conditions or processes by which a forest characteristic or management is judged. Measurements are already available for some of the indicators; some others can easily be measured; yet some indicators require a new programme of systematic sampling or even basic research. The specific measurement of indicators should be judged on a scale of acceptable "standards of performance" which may vary from country to country, region to region and from time to time. Some aspects of the criteria can only be judged through the existence and effective implementation of a related policy framework.