Rita Hite, president & CEO of the American Forest Foundation, issued the following statement regarding the release of the failure of the Land Sector and Removals (LSR) Standard by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) to include a component related to forest carbon accounting:

"Forests remain one of the most immediately deployable, scientifically grounded climate solutions available today. They are already being managed, monitored, and financed to deliver real, measurable climate benefits at scale. The LSR Standard has been under development for six years, and by not providing guidance on forest carbon accounting today, we are failing to encourage companies to invest in the health of forests across the globe - investments that we know pay huge dividends for carbon and other benefits to communities and to nature. We recognize that accounting for forest carbon can be a complex and difficult topic to navigate and appreciate the GHGP's effort to advance land sector guidance, but the exclusion of forests from the LSR Standard increases the risk of sidelining one of the most mature and impactful pathways for near-term mitigation. 

To prevent the further loss of time and delayed implementation, we need a forest carbon accounting system today that recognizes the role of active management and clearly accounts for changes in forest carbon stocks on lands owned, cared for and managed by rural communities, instead of pretending that those communities play no role in the health of those forests. At a time when deforestation and forest degradation continue to drive global emissions, credible accounting frameworks should reflect where human stewardship - which includes the sustainable use of forest products - helps forests thrive.

AFF will continue to engage with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol - including through their upcoming Request for Information - in the hope that a workable forest accounting component can be incorporated into their LSR standard in the very near future."

##