New Report: Sustainable Climate Strategies Must Create Not Destroy Wealth

Responsible development of forest lands reduces emissions, offers economic returns up to 8-times greater than CO2 farming

BONN, Germany, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the NGO World Growth International released a new report, cautioning U.N. officials and World leaders that efforts to tackle climate change will fail unless they create rather than destroy wealth -- a critical fact ostensibly disregarded by some environmental organizations.

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The analysis entitled "Forestry and the Poor: How forestry reduces poverty" reveals that forestry generates up to 7% of GDP in poor countries, creating much-needed jobs and prosperity. The report goes on to compare the value of these established uses of forest land with the economic return of using trees solely for carbon storage -- the strategy being pushed by "green" NGO's like Greenpeace and WWF.

"The value of established development of forest land is at least four times - and can easily be - eight times greater than carbon farming," explained World Growth Chairman Alan Oxley. "This contradicts claims that poor countries can enjoy greater economic returns by halting forestry and conversion of wooded land for agriculture and other more productive purposes."

In the midst of a global economic recession, policy makers and legislators around the globe are desperate to promote economic growth. "Consequently," continued Mr. Oxley, "any proposal on climate change that undermines growth just won't fly.

"This reality is clearly not understood by a few environmental NGO's like Greenpeace and WWF. In fact, rather than stimulating economic development, their recently-released model for a climate treaty would actively destroy wealth in rich and poor countries alike.

"It would effectively establish global 'green' welfare. The plan calls for imposition of a five-year US$760 billion tax on rich countries. Those revenues would then be directed to developing countries as aid -- on dubious condition that they close down wealth-producing industries like forestry."

Previous research by World Growth demonstrated that expansion of carbon sinks in forests of developing countries provides one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions. This expansion entails running sustainable forestry operations in natural forests as well as establishing plantations and commercial crops.

Due to unfavorable economic circumstances and vast differences among leading nations, Mr. Oxley explained that the chances of agreement on a new treaty at Copenhagen this year are poor: "Unless strategies that protect and even encourage economic development are advanced in the future, a new global strategy will elude negotiators this year and for many years to come."

To speak with World Growth's experts or find out more about the study, please email media@worldgrowth.org or call +1-202-320-3965.

Click here to read the entire World Growth Report

Click here to read the Executive Summary

World Growth is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established with an educational and charitable mission to expand the education, information and other resources available to disadvantaged populations to improve their health and economic welfare. At World Growth, we embrace and celebrate the new age of globalization and the power of free trade to eradicate poverty and improve living conditions for people in the developing world. For more information on World Growth, visit www.worldgrowth.org.

SOURCE World Growth

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