AUSTRALIAN national environment and climate groups, and regional and grassroots forest organisations, recently gathered to collaborate on a national campaign to protect native forests by ending logging, clearing and conversion.
Forest campaigners from Western Australia, ACT, Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and Queensland called on federal and state governments for:
– An immediate end to native forest logging, clearing and conversion.
– Permanent protection of native forests nationwide, with strong national environment laws to safeguard forests and wildlife.
– An end to carbon and biodiversity offsets generated from public native forests, and
– Genuine climate action that protects forests, rather than treating them as offsets for new fossil fuel emissions.
“Conservation of forests is one of the best ways we have to arrest climate change,” former Environment Minister Bob Debus told the meeting.
“Strong community support will be the best way to get political action.”
The meeting adopted the Forest Protection Principles, a shared roadmap to protect and restore Australia’s native forests.
Its principles outline a long-term vision for Australia’s forests, one where native forest logging and clearing has ended, ecosystems are restored, First Nations rights and leadership are respected, and forests are valued for the benefits they provide to people, wildlife and the climate.
The meeting’s resolutions were endorsed by more than 50 signatories.
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