The next event in the Conservation Challenges for the 21st Century lecture series – “Climate change and wildlife conservation: crisis or opportunity?” will be held at ZSL on Wednesday 20 May 2009.
Roughly 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the loss of tropical forests in developing countries. Largely owing to deforestation, Brazil and Indonesia are third and fourth in the rankings of global emitters of greenhouse gases, behind the US and China. Recognition that these activities are contributing to climate change has led to proposals to include deforestation more comprehensively in the post-2012 UN climate agreement. There is also evidence to suggest that forests could be catastrophically impacted by climate change, resulting in dangerous positive feedback loops.
What is the relationship between climate change, biodiversity conservation and human livelihoods in tropical forest ecosystems, and what can be done to ensure that linkages are taken into consideration in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? What mechanisms should be incorporated in the post-2012 agreement?
This evening of presentations and debate involving both governmental and non-governmental participants will highlight how conservation and environment NGOs are contributing to tackling climate change and how activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in forest ecosystems can carry additional benefits for biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation.
The meeting will be chaired by Elliot Morley MP, and coordinated by ZSL, WWF, GLOBE International, Fauna & Flora International and Wildlife Conservation Society, in collaboration with a large network of NGOs.
Everyone is welcome to this event and entrance to the talks is free and will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The talks will be from 6.30 to 8.00pm and the meeting rooms will be open from 5.30pm on the evening – please arrive early to ensure you get a good seat and please note that latecomers may not be admitted until a suitable break in the schedule.
Further information can be found at www.zsl.org/science/scientific-meetings/.
A map of the location of the meeting rooms can be found at www.zsl.org/science/scientific-meetings/meeting-room-maps,109,AR.html.
Thank you for your interest in ZSL’s scientific events; please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any queries or would like further information.
With thanks for your support,
Joy 
p.s. a quick reminder about June’s symposium – BIODIVERSITY MONITORING AND CONSERVATION: BRIDGING THE GAPS BETWEEN GLOBAL COMMITMENT AND LOCAL ACTION – all day on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 June. Tickets still available and should be booked and paid for in advance; please see www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/whats-on/biodiversity-monitoring-and-conservation-symposium,312,EV.html for full details. Also, we will release details of the 2009 Stamford Raffles Lecture shortly and I will contact you with full information (including booking form and prices) early next week.
