The government has decided to give 115 million kr for further development of the digital tool Global Forest Watch, which is used to monitor the rainforest.
“The business community is now demanding Global Forest Watch. Companies that buy palm oil, soy, pulp and meat, want to be able to check and document that the product they trade in does not contribute to deforestation,” says Climate and Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen.
Global Forest Watch (GFW) is described as the most comprehensive independent information database of rainforest condition. The monitoring service is operated by the organization World Resources Institute (WRI) and has already received 68 million kroner in Norwegian aid since 2013.
The new funds will be used for further development of the service over the next three years.
Helgesen attend the large forest conference in Oslo on Wednesday with, among others, US Secretary of State John Kerry. Altogether about 500 people will be attending the conference on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
