The gathering of Brazilian Amazonian states for the development of the region was the motto behind the 14th Forum of the Governors of the Legal Amazon, held this Friday, May 5, in Porto Velho, Rondônia.

Governor Viana and a delegation of twelve leaders from the Brazilian State of Acre met with officers from the Colorado Office of Economic Development, the Colorado Tourism Office, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture to discuss best practices in economic and tourism development, and sustainable agriculture. 

On Saturday, December 10, the GCF member states of; Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, signed the Agreement for the Sustainability of the Yucatan Peninsula 2030 (ASPY 2030) at the Conference of the Parties (COP13) on biodiversity. The objective of this agreement is to promote the climate leadership of these states, which make-up the Yucatan Peninsula, at the national and international level.

This year’s 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been coined the “The COP of Action,” promising to put the Paris Agreement into action. In response, jurisdictions from the Governors Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF) have been actively involved in demonstrating the critical role of subnational governments in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. 

Institut Penelitian Inovasi Bumi (INOBU), the GCF Coordinator in Indonesia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Central Kalimantan province and three districts (Gunung Mas, Kotawaringin Barat and Seruyan), recently solidified an ongoing partnership to accelerate the development of sustainable oil palm in Indonesia. The parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding and launched SIPKEBUN, an online system built by INOBU to integrate information on palm oil growers—from industrial scale plantations to independent smallholder farmers.

Governor Viana of Acre, Brazil and a high-level delegation of governmental and indigenous leaders from his state visited California in October 2016.

Brazil made history at the recent GCF annual meeting when the State Secretary of Environment for Amazonas (SEMA), on behalf of the State Government of Amazonas, and the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), delivered its first-ever certificate of carbon emissions reduction to the US-headquartered hospitality company Marriott International. 

GCF delegates from Papua, Indonesia organized an international conference that united the GCF across Indonesia with important international donors, including USAID, the US Embassy, GTZ, the European Union, and the Rainforest Foundation. The purpose of the conference was to celebrate the biodiversity of Papua and to collectively plan sustainable development pathways that protect and enhance this biodiversity by emphasizing ecotourism and creative economic development options, including the sustainable production of coffee, chocolate, and honey. 

In July, the Peruvian Agricultural and Environmental Ministry solidified La Estrategia Nacional sobre Bosques y Cambio Climático, a plan that has engaged indigenous communities, civil society, and local governments to put Peru on the path to reducing deforestation, thereby reducing greenhouse gases.

On May 26th, the Governor of West Kalimantan, Cornelis MH, announced his plans to support sustainable and low carbon growth using an integrated landscape approach. In a newly formed partnership with IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative and PTCUS, Governor Cornelis will be supporting a combined effort on behalf of governments, private companies, and public stakeholders to implement green growth strategies.