POZNAN, Poland, December 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Report Finds Forestry the Best Tool to Reduce Emissions and Promote Economic Growth

Today World Growth International, a non-profit non-governmental organization, released a new report that reveals the significant role forestry stands to play in global efforts against climate change. In stark contrast to the orthodoxy of groups like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Greenpeace that halting deforestation is necessary to reduce global emissions, it demonstrates instead that expansion of forestry will more effectively reduce emissions and promote economic growth. The report also reveals that the approach of anti-forestry activists is likely to increase poverty.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081204/DC49733LOGO )

In light of this week's United Nations Climate Change Conference, the findings of Winners All: How Forestry Can Reduce Both Climate Change Emissions and Poverty-A Pro-Development Program hold great significance. It's critical for global leaders to realize that strategies to expand forestry in sustainable ways can:

- potentially offset up to 46% of human carbon emissions; - successfully balance economic growth in developing nations with the preservation of forest health and biodiversity; and - simultaneously bolster the global economy and improve the environment.

This research highlighted in World Growth's report reinforces the notion that REDD (a strategy to halt deforestation) is not enough, explains Alan Oxley, Chairman of World Growth. Initiatives like REDD undermine economic growth and are much less effective at mitigating carbon emissions than strategies to expand forestry. Deforestation-only strategies jeopardize the capacity of the poor in developing economies to produce food, develop cash crops and acquire fuelwood.

Fortunately, there's a simple way to satisfy both environmental and economic interests: expanding forests and forestry in developing countries, Oxley continues. An expanded, sustainable forest industry will both offset carbon emissions and produce development dividends.

When it comes to our world's best interests, sustainable forestry is one of the few truly 'green' solutions in which 'green' means not only protecting nature, but creating wealth too.

To speak with World Growth's experts or find out more about the report, please contact Trice Whitefield at media@worldgrowth.org or +1-202-320-3965.

Click here to read the entire World Growth Report (http://www.worldgrowth.org/assets/File/WG_Forestry_Report_FINAL.pdf)

Click here to read the Executive Summary (www.worldgrowth.org/assets/File/WG_Forestry_Report_Exec_Summary.pdf)

World Growth is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established with an educational and charitable mission to expand the education, information and other resources available to disadvantaged populations to improve their health and economic welfare. At World Growth, we embrace and celebrate the new age of globalization and the power of free trade to eradicate poverty and improve living conditions for people in the developing world. For more information on World Growth, visit http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=-1msgid=0act=c=166393admin=0de stination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldgrowth.org%2F

Trice Whitefield of World Growth, +1-202-320-3965, media@worldgrowth.org; Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi bin/prnh/20081204/DC49733LOGO