Dear Editor,

In light of the excellent coverage that your paper has been giving to environmental issues, local and global, I wish to discuss JMMB’s Earth Day initiative to encourage the planting of 5,000 trees across the island in the hope that it will stimulate your readers. Also, I have noted the inspirational call for climate action by Baroness Scotland of Asthal, secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations, at the same time that our own foreign secretary was to sign the Paris Agreement at the United Nations Headquarters.

Both the Earth Day celebrations and the Paris Agreement have emphasised the role of trees and forests in mitigating and adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The threat of global temperature rise is a problem that every human being needs to appreciate and where possible, take whatever steps we can to address that problem, particularly in fostering sustainable forest management.

Therefore, a number of questions arise. Firstly, does each man, woman and child know and understand what is at stake? If not, will those who know share their knowledge with those who do not know, and in the process encourage and emphasise the importance of individual and group action? Can we effect sufficient buy-in along the lines of the public education programme against the Zika and H1N1 viruses?

Secondly, is JMMB’s modest action to plant 5,000 trees so unique for a corporate entity, or is it possible and likely that other corporations can be encouraged to exercise initiatives that will make significant impact on building resilience? Can we hope that the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Jamaica Agricultural Society, Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association, and the Jamaica Exporters’ Association will solicit actions from their members? How can the Government and civil society help to motivate meaningful action by the private sector, communities and individuals? Forestry is not the only sector recommended for attention by Earth Day and the Paris Agreement, but my organisation, the Forest Conservancy, is continuing to encourage investment in plantation forestry and is preparing an agro-forestry approach with high-value, short-rotation timber species on suitable, idle lands.

While planting 5,000 trees may seem to be a modest target, it could be equated with establishing 11 acres of new forest! If 100 firms would follow your example, JMMB, then Jamaica would be able to create more than 1,000 acres of planted forest. Can you imagine what impact that could make if the trees were planted on some of our idle lands, sequestering carbon, producing timber, restoring watersheds, conserving soil resources, sheltering crops, etc? Further than that, what if this were done every year for say 20 years? Jamaica would have a viable natural resource that could sustain industrial production of wood and wood products, create jobs, generate energy from biomass residues, and add wealth to our economy.

This is not a wild dream, but one that can be supported from local investments as well as international funding such as the Green Climate Fund and other sources.

What are the next steps? Who is planning to do what, and are we all involved? If not, how can we participate and share our ideas? The baroness is right; the time for action is now, so let us get ready to access the global funding sources and whatever local resources we can muster. We will wait for various mechanisms to be put in place for the Green Climate Fund, etc, but much of the information is already on the Internet.

Finally, what can we expect from the Jamaica Observer as well as other members of the press and media? We know that letters to the editor can be quite useful to educate your readers, but your reporters and columnists should be more skilful in crafting their presentations. I shall therefore look forward to your excellent treatment of environmental matters.

Guy Symes

Managing Director

The Forest Conservancy

12 Hopeton Mews, Kingston 8, Jamaica