The Hon. Greg Hunt MP

Minister for the Environment

Source: Department of the Environment website

Australia is hosting a major regional summit in Sydney this week to identify practical ways to reduce rainforest loss across the Asia-Pacific.

Organised by the Australian Government, ministers from rainforest countries in the region and leaders from business, international organisations and civil society will attend the two-day Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit from 11 November.

Hosting an Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit was a Coalition election commitment.

Slowing and halting the loss of precious rainforests is a key part of addressing the global challenge of climate change.

In the ten years to 2010, the Asia Pacific region lost more than 11 million hectares of forest.

Deforestation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions particularly for countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

With Asia-Pacific home to around 6.2 per cent of the world's forests, reducing forest loss can make a big difference to reducing global carbon emissions.

These rainforests support extraordinary biodiversity, provide economic opportunity and livelihoods to millions of people and store billions of tonnes of carbon.

The Asia-Pacific Rainforest Summit provides an opportunity for countries and businesses in the Asia-Pacific region to consider practical ways to protect rainforests.

As a key outcome from the Summit, I am sitting down with ministers from across the region to map a way forward for an Asia-Pacific rainforest recovery plan to reduce deforestation and replant cleared rainforests.

The Rainforest Summit will focus on:

• better tools to monitor forests, including using satellite technology
• combating illegal logging in the region
• protecting the unique biodiversity of regional rainforests
• building on private sector commitments to reduce or eliminate deforestation from the supply chain
• involving indigenous and community groups in decisions about forests.

The Summit is an opportunity for Australia to share its expertise - especially our world-leading satellite monitoring systems - and set up strong networks with our Asia-Pacific neighbours.

Regional governments will also be reporting on local success stories, to build our understanding about practical measures that have worked.

The Summit is being held in the lead up to the World Parks Congress in Sydney from 12 to 19 November.