The Institute interviews Luis Neves Silva – New Generation Plantations Platform, Lead at WWF – as he prepares to address the Institute’s national conference: The UK’s Role in Global Forestry this April in Oxford.
Who is Luis Neves Silva?
Luis graduated as a Forest Engineer at UTL-ISA in Lisbon. He is the lead for WWF’s New Generation Plantations platform.
Tell us about your presentation?
I will explain the New Generation Plantations (NGP) platform where I have more than 10 years of experience on establishing plantations that follow NGP principles can absorb globally significant quantities of carbon dioxide, while helping to conserve forests, restore degraded landscapes and bring socio-economic benefits.
Why is your presentation important for our conference?
The UK is one of the largest net importers of timber, with a modest in-house forest area. The UK should significantly increase its forest area to reduce its global footprint. There is a high potential to establish a new generation of plantations in the UK which would reduce its global footprint, and simultaneously deliver climate, environmental and socio-economic benefits. But for this to happen, it requires more than a narrative on the benefits. It requires a societal transformation towards a cultural change, hence why NGP is relevant.
What is the biggest challenge(s) facing global forestry?
Urban society rejection of forestry.
What role should the UK play in global forestry?
The UK Forestry Commission is one of the founders of the New Generation Plantations platform. The UK should keep an active role at high level on the forest policy, advocating and support sustainable forestry initiatives, such as it did with NGP during the last 10 years.
How did you get into forestry?
I always loved nature and my dream was to live my life within forestry while contributing to better peoples lives. It was at university that I came across forestry, and by that time I knew I had found my passion.
For further information and to book charteredforesters.org/event/icf-national-conference-global-forestry
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