Forest for Life Public Service Announcement



22 May 2023
Shifting consumer behaviour key to protecting forests in the Lower Mekong
In a forest tucked along the Mekong basin, a lone rosewood tree fills a vast empty space. Decades of illegal logging and overexploitation have pushed the tree species to “critically endangered” status. Some estimates suggest that less than 20 per cent of Asian rosewood remain in the wild, and just a quarter of these are protected.

Rosewood, known for its dark red colour and dense bark, is traditionally used to make furniture and is worth tens of thousands of dollars per cubic metre. Demand for this furniture remains nearly insatiable, placing great pressure on forests in the Mekong basin.

To drive more sustainable consumer behaviour and protect rosewood trees, the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and the UN-REDD Programme lead the “Forest for Life” campaign. The campaign uses positive messaging and imagery to link individual actions with the benefits of keeping forests standing.

On the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, this campaign demonstrates the positive impacts of protecting ecosystems on human health and the economy.

“To bring sustainability to the fore, we need to be able to communicate the connections between the environment, society and the economy. Forests are essential for climate, nature and people; without forests, we cannot survive,” says Mario Boccucci, the head of the UN-REDD Programme secretariat. “Every day, people can choose products and materials that do no harm to forest and nature.”

Whole cycle approach
The “Forest for Life” campaign has reached over 230 million people, and UNEP Goodwill Ambassadors, including Li Bingbing, have shared messages on how embracing sustainability can support forest protection and restoration. Across the Lower Mekong region, countries like Thailand, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia and Viet Nam are developing similar campaigns to target illegal logging and trade of rosewood.

Yet demand for rosewood is still increasing. According to UNEP’s 2022 multi-country survey on forest crime, nine out of 10 consumers in China indicated that they would purchase rosewood furniture in the next year, compared with 70 per cent the year before.

The campaign appeals to Chinese consumers to opt for eco-friendly options, like bamboo or reclaimed wood to help protect forests and restore rosewood. It works with local artists and designers to come up with creative alternatives with the same aesthetic look and feel of rosewood.

It also encourages a whole cycle approach, which takes into account logging, transportation, export and import, the markets, and consumer behaviour. The aim is to support the growing market for sustainable, certified wood products and incentivize businesses to shift towards more ethical and sustainable practices.

Mindful changes in consumer habits
“A mindful change in consumer habits of young people could create ripples of change in the rosewood furniture industry and market and, to a larger extent, to the forests of the Lower Mekong region,” says Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.

This change may already be taking root.

“When choosing furniture, the (younger generation is) more likely to look beyond what is traditionally beautiful to what is practical,” says Yang Meng, an interior designer in China. “They are also more likely to be persuaded to choose wood from more sustainable sources.”
In full: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/s ... wer-mekong