Minshan, Sichuan - Just as our lungs absorb carbon dioxide from the blood and infuse it with oxygen, green plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and release oxygen into the atmosphere in return. Which is why forests are often referred to as the Earth's lungs and why they form an effective ‘sink’ for carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas.

To turn this principal into practice, WWF’s Minshan Landscape Programme, together with the Sichuan Forestry Society and Sichuan Forest Carbon Sink Office, has produced guidelines and a handbook on how to combine producing forestry products with forest’s function in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, as well as how to make forestation and reforestation projects feasible.

On December 9, 2005, to further perfect the guidelines and handbook, WWF held a workshop in Chengdu with participation of leaders and experts from institutes, forestry administration departments, universities, and grassroots forestry departments.

According to workshop participants, the guidelines and handbook offer feasible and scientific methods for combining the principles and requirements of the ‘Clean Development Mechanism’ (CDM)* with the reality of forestation work in the Minshan region. They also provide criteria and processes for carrying out forestation projects that are applicable to forestation and reforestation projects in the Minshan region.

For further information:

Zhao Jie, Coordinator, WWF China Chengdu Field Office, Tel: +86 28 68003625, E-mail: jzhao@wwfchina.org

Notes to editors:

*Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
A new economic instrument borne of the Kyoto Protocol, the Clean Development Mechanism is generating interest as a tool for promoting the technologies of the future. The CDM was proposed by industrialised countries as a means of meeting their overall Kyoto Protocol obligations with greater flexibility. In essence, industrialised countries would earn 'credits' for their investmensts in emission reduction projects in developing countries which would be offset against their domestic emission obligations.

The developed country gains credits for the emissions reduced, while the developing country gains projects and help with capacity building, technology, environmental remediation and socio-economic development. The general rules to guide implementation of the CDM were agreed to in what is known as the Marrakesh Accords. However the CDM has underperfomed to date. WWF has led the development of the CDM Gold Standard (launched in December 2003), a rigorous, independent tool for those seeking to design CDM projects that benefit the host countries, as well as the buyers of carbon credits.