The Tropical Forest and Climate Coalition (TFCC) is a groundbreaking alliance of major U.S. businesses, non- governmental organizations, and scientific institutions working to protect tropical forests as part of the solution to climate change. On May 12, 2009, the coalition released the Tropical Forest and Climate Unity Agreement, a landmark set of principles for the protection of these forests as part of U.S. climate policy. Avoided Deforestation Partners, a small non-profit organization, served to initiate and facilitate this agreement.
With this diverse coalition behind it, the agreement served as the model for many of the tropical forest policies included in proposed climate legislation now under consideration in Congress. The coalition continues to work to ensure that tropical forests are protected in U.S. and international climate policies as a way to solve the climate crisis, enhance security, protect biodiversity, reduce poverty, and create economic opportunity at home and abroad.
Click here to download PDF of the Unity Agreement.
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News And Resources
Information included here does not necessarily represent the opinions of all coalition members.
Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra lose 9% of forest cover in 8 years
Mongabay | February 25, 2011 - The research comes shortly after an investigation by a task force set up by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono found that deforestation in Central Kalimantan costs the province 158.5 trillion rupiah ($17.6 billion). A separate analysis published this week by Indonesian Corruption Watch estimated state losses from deforestation country-wide at 71 trillion Rupiah ($8 billion) between 2005 and 2009, or roughly $1.6 billion per year.... see more
Budget for rainforests puts Obama's $1 billion pledge at risk
Grist | February 16, 2011 - Both President Obama's proposed budget and especially House Republican proposals fall significantly short of the administration's $1 billion pledge for short-term forest finance made at the Copenhagen climate summit – putting the United States' climate credibility at even further risk.... see more
Possible breakthrough: Indonesian palm oil giant pledges zero deforestation
Grist | February 14, 2011 - Potential good news for orangutans, tigers, and the climate: Indonesian palm oil giant Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), a subsidiary of all-round planet pulper Sinar Mas (palm oil, illegal logging, coal) is promising not to destroy forests and ultra carbon-rich peatlands for palm oil.... see more
Top five forest stories of 2010
Grist | January 3, 2011 - In the context of an overall bleak 2010 for the planet, forests offer a bright point for some celebration -- showing this sector as the area offering perhaps the best hope for continued progress in fighting climate change. Towards that end, here are the world's top five forest stories of the year.... see more
New Data Shows REDD+ Is Succeeding
Union of Concerned Scientists | December 16, 2010 - Amid the whirlwind of climate change news before and after the Cancún climate conference, including a landmark agreement on REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation, and related pro-forest actions), an important story seems to have passed by with little notice.... see more
The Politics of Forests in Cancun
Grist | December 10, 2010 - The delegates at Cancun have approved a deal that makes important progress on forest protection, clean technology, adapting to global warming, measurement and verification, and the establishment of a Green Fund. While it doesn't commit countries to specific post-2012 cuts in pollution yet, it's an important step forward that could lead to a more comprehensive agreement in Durban, South Africa next year -- and show politicians in the United States that our global competitors are willing to take action. If we don't, we risk being left behind in the race to a low carbon economy.... see more
World Bank President Zoellick on the need for REDD: “We don’t want silent forests”
Grist | December 10, 2010 - The watchword in the halls of this year's UN climate summit is "balanced package." It's the oblique phrase referring to what might be possible as a final agreement at this year's meeting, at least to those who don't have unreasonable expectations on what can be achieved.... see more
World Needs to Restore and Expand Tropical Forests to Combat Climate Change, New Report Finds
Union of Concerned Scientists | December 9, 2010 - Replanting and restoring tropical forests will prove to be a critical tool in combating global warming, according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) during the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico.... see more
In Cancun, World Leaders Call for Quick Action on Forests
AD Partners | December 8, 2010 - Avoided Deforestation Partners was honored to have UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the keynote speaker at our high-level REDD+ event in Cancun. The Secretary General called on the nations of the world to conclude a deal to protect forests. At the same event, important announcements were made by World Bank president Robert Zoellick and Walmart Chairman.... see more
What Cancun Can Take from California
The Guardian | December 6, 2010 - At the invitation of AD Partners, Dr Jane Goodall meets with California Gov. Schwarz- enegger to help promote California Climate bill. In a new op-ed in The Guardian (UK), Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat and AD Partners Founder Jeffrey Horowitz discuss landmark inclusion of forestry provision in California's climate law.... see more
Brazil Outpaces All Other Countries in Reducing Global Warming Emissions, According to New Rainforest Data
Union of Concerned Scientists | December 1, 2010 - Brazil announced today that it reduced tropical rainforest destruction to another record low level. The country’s National Institute for Space Research found that the loss of Amazonian forest reached a record low of 2,490 square miles (6,450 square kilometers) between August 2009 and July 2010, 67 percent lower than the average deforestation rate between 1996 and 2005.... see more
Emissions from Deforestation Decline, but Fossil Fuels Drive Pollution Higher
Grist | November 23, 2010 - A new analysis of 2009 global greenhouse gas emissions published in the journal Nature Geoscience has found that increased coal use in the developing world, particularly China and India, boosted global greenhouse gas emissions to the second highest level on record.... see more
Reforestation Projects Capture More Carbon Than Industrial Plantations, New Research Reveals
Science Daily | July 31, 2010 - Australian scientists researching environmental restoration projects have found that the reforestation of damaged rainforests is more efficient at capturing carbon than controversial softwood monoculture plantations.... see more
Analysis Shows Protecting Tropical Forests Will Boost Revenue for Brazil by US$146-$306 billion
A report released today by AD Partners finds that Brazilian agriculture is well-positioned to benefit from a gradual shift away from deforestation-based production. With relatively constant temperatures and tens of millions of hectares of degraded land that can easily be put into production as demand increases, non-deforestation agriculture in Brazil will gain significant market share from forest protection measures.
Read the report in English
Em Português: Mais florestas, fazendas melhores
