Save the Date! Towards a deforestation-free future: The demand-side challenge Date: 22 September 2014, 13:15 – 14:30 Venue: Conference Room 1, Ground Floor, United Nations Headquarters, New York City The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia (UNORCID), Global Canopy Programme (GCP), and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in partnership with Code REDD and the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA), will be holding an event during Climate Week in New York: ‘Towards a deforestation-free future: the demand-side challenge’ on the 22 September at 1:15pm in the United Nations Headquarters. A variety of demand-side measures have been developed and implemented over the last decade or more by government, the private sector, and civil society to tackle drivers of deforestation and promote the transition towards a green economy. However, a fundamental challenge remains: the vast majority of demand created by domestic and global markets does not account for climate or environmental impact. This results in a lack of demand for sustainable products and perpetuates deforestation and emissions from land use change. Within this global context, country cases, such as Indonesia, highlight the specific nature of challenges and opportunities for reducing deforestation in a context of economic growth. Indonesia is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide from agriculture, forestry and other land use and has one of the world's highest deforestation rates. Despite recent environmental and social sustainability commitments from the private sector, deforestation and forest degradation persist. One significant driver is the lack of demand from domestic or global markets for sustainable products; in turn the result of lack of awareness amongst consumers, and a regime of trade and finance that undermines the case for sustainability. This event will provide a platform for key public and private actors to discuss examples of successful demand-side initiatives that can create deforestation-free commodity supply chains, as well as innovative finance mechanisms which can be deployed in order to safeguard tropical forests. The event seeks to identify areas for action, as well as scalable financial and non-financial incentives to support progress towards reduced deforestation whilst also achieving enhanced food security. To register to attend this event please email eve...@unorcid.org by the 15th September 2014. Further details, including the finalised agenda will be released shortly. | 
