http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=70891

A two-day international conference is to be held here in November to bring about greater awareness to various parties on the crucial role of reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).“We want to explore what is in store for Sabah and hope to come up with a strategy on how best to move forward,” Datuk Sam Mannan, director of Sabah Forestry Department (SFD) said here yesterday.

The SFD is taking a lead in organising the conference to be jointly held with the WWF Malaysia, with the support of the Sabah state government on Nov 8 to 9.
He said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman would address and launch the conference entitled, ‘Forest and Climate – Decoding and Realising REDD in The Heart of Borneo (HoB), With Special Focus on Sabah’.
The main objective of the conference is to bring awareness and understanding of the role of forest and climate change, especially on REDD to a wider audience in Sabah, including forest concessionaires, relevant government departments, non-government agencies, higher learning institutions, oil palm plantations and civil societies.
Sam Mannan said the conference is also designed to explore the needs of implementation of REDD in Sabah, including the legal, financial and technical aspects.
“Conference speakers and participants will also be discussing the carbon standards available for the voluntary and compliance market and how influential this would be to the price of carbon.” He said the conference would also become an avenue for receiving feedback on the development of Sabah in REDD strategy, taking cognition of national, regional and international initiatives.
Fred Kugan, the Deputy Director (Forest Sector Planning) of the Sabah Forestry Department, who heads the organising committee, told The Borneo Post by phone from his office in Sandakan, that representatives from international and regional bodies shall be among the 500 participants expected to attend.
Local participants, he added, shall include Sabah state assemblymen, officials from federal and state government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the private sector, consultants, higher institutions of learning, and scientists.
He said participation is also open to international and regional entities, particularly those associated with the HoB.
“We have confirmed participants from HoB countries, such as Indonesia and Brunei, as well as Japan, the United States, Europe, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Australia, and Brazil.” Kugan disclosed that speakers on the policy session include those representing the G77 and China, countries in the Climate Change Convention on the negotiation of climate change, and the UNDP to talk about its UN REDD Programme.
At the same time, a speaker from the Malaysia Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to talk about national perspective on REDD plus.
“Interestingly, the EU Ambassador to Malaysia will also speak on REDD and the EU. The conference will also hear regional experiences from countries with REDD programme namely Indonesia, China, and State of Acre, Brazil.” He said that in an attempt to provide better understanding on what REDD plus is all about, Session 3 of the conference would dwell on the sciences and economics of REDD plus which would run in two concurrent sessions.
“In the sciences of it, we will have prominent scientists and practitioners particularly speakers like Professor Jack Putz, Professor Kitayama, Dr Glen Reynolds, Dr Eric Dinerstein, and Mr Dennis Slieker from Face-the-Future (Infapro). They will speak mostly on their experiences in Sabah and all these will have important bearing in determining gaps to move REDD plus forward particularly in terms of monitoring and assessment,” he explained.
He pointed out that the talks on the REDD plus by those who have been working on project development and standards would add clarity on requirements to develop a carbon related project.
“The conference will conclude with a presentation of REDD plus strategy for Sabah and from the plenary discussion to receive further inputs to improve the strategy or roadmap,” the organising chairman added.
Those wishing to participate in the conference or obtain further information may do so from http://www.forest.sabah.gov.my/pdf/hob1.pdf.