Lungs of sustainable cities – International Day of Forests in Brussels

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‘For most city dwellers, a forest means recreation and leisure. But forests do so much more,’ said Karmenu Vella, the EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in his opening speech at the ForestCityProject Forum on the occasion of the International Day of Forests on Wednesday 21 March in Brussels’ Residence Palace. The theme of the event, in accordance with the global theme of the day, was ‘Forests and Sustainable Cities’, which could not be more timely at a moment when the world is trying to deliver on the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Agenda and when at the same time, the world’s population is becoming increasingly urban. Cities currently generate 70% of global carbon. By 2050, 70% of the global population will be living in cities, likely driving the carbon generation even more. Forests, as lungs of the earth, have a massive potential to reduce this carbon. They are fundamental to give hope to the Paris Agreement.

The forum, organized by REVOLVE, hosted two panels moderated by Member of the European Parliament Mr Paul Brannen. The panels addressed the value of wood and forests in making cities more sustainable. Discussions revealed amongst others that trees need to become a key element in urban planning, and that the expansion of urban space needs to be aware of urban forest areas as well as trees in cities. This will also help improve air quality and help tackle climate change.

Technology already allows us to build cities of the future, but we need to raise awareness among the public to gain wide support for this shift to greener, healthier and more resilient cities. ‘We all can have direct impact on nature by making sustainable choices in our everyday lives,’ said Herbert Lust from Conservation International, calling on the consumers to buy sustainably. If we are ‘to improve urban lives, we need to conserve our forests and enhance livelihoods of forest communities’ – ‘understanding this nexus is an absolute need,’ said Thais Linhares-Juvenal, FAO forestry expert, who made the connection with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

As a closure, participants were invited to take a thrilling virtual trip to the Amazonian rainforest, where they could experience not only the beauty of this biodiversity hotspot, but also visualize the effects of deforestation. The 8-minute trip to the Amazon clearly depicted the impact of deforestation on the nature as well as the local communities, who depend on the forests for their livelihood. Have you not had the chance to see this beautiful video by Conservation International, you can do so here.

The event also marked the opening of the ForestCityProject Exhibition, which showcases amongst others new architectural designs that integrate wood into buildings and trees into the urban fabric. The exhibition will be travelling around Brussels, passing by the #EUGreenWeek (22-25 May), up until World Environment Day on the 5^th of June when it will be exhibited in Parc du Cinquantenaire. For more information, click here. Pictures from the event are available here.

The event and exhibition were organized by Revolve Media, in partnership with the UN Environment Brussels Office, and with support of strategic partners European organization of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).