What is the Conference About?
"HFLD" refers to the nations with "High forestation and Low deforestation". Worldwide, Suriname has the highest percentage of its land mass (about 93%) covered by intact forest, with a low rate of loss.
The other top ten HFLD nations are found in the Congo basin, Central and South America. This conference brings together leaders, international organizations and other players interested in the unique challenges of HFLD nations. We will focus on the challenge of fair financing for adaptation to climate change and for preserving these precious and vulnerable ecosystems.
The African Development Bank recently explained the dilemma in these terms: "The African continent, which has contributed almost nothing to the climate change problem, suffers acutely and disproportionately from its impact. Currently Africa, which accounts for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, receives only 3% of the world's climate finance despite being the continent most at risk from climate change.
In summary, as Bank President Adesina has remarked on several occasions, “Having been short-changed by climate change, Africa must not be short-changed by climate finance”.
The issue affects more than just the HFLD nations: every economy worldwide will be faced with rising costs of protecting populations, species, and their infrastructure against severe and unpredictable weather events. The more developed economies (those which have historically exploited natural resources around the world to the greatest degree, and whose populations are the greatest drivers of continuing pollution of the atmosphere), can better afford to build new infrastructure and buffer the impacts to their people. The more vulnerable nations, while contributing a resource which cannot be reduced to a monetary value--cleansing of the air for the plant by their intact ecosystems--are hit much harder by adaptation costs. Under current arrangements, the options offered to them frequently entail going into greater debt, thus pushing them further behind economically.
We are meeting to raise awareness about this fatally flawed state of affairs, and to bring together the HFLD countries to discuss how they can work together toward improvement.
What are the Costs for Attending?
For this inaugural HFLD Conference, the Government of Suriname is making the space and resources available to host this important meeting. There is no attendance fee. We sincerely hope that thought leaders and decision makers will see the importance of the climate finance discussion and will take advantage of this invitation to collaborate.
We regret that we are not able at this time to offer sponsorship of the costs of travel or accommodation.
If your organization is interested in helping to enable wider participation by assisting with any of the conference costs, we warmly invite you to contact the organizers using the form below, or by emailing organizers@hfldclimatefinance.com
Want to Learn More or Ask a Question?
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