Why Forests Matter for Climate

February 18 Why forests matter for climate with Virginia Young and Luke Chamberlain online
Wednesday, February 18, 2026 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: On Zoom

Join us to hear ecosystems expert Virginia Young talk about the importance of biodiversity and forest integrity to emissions reduction and climate action. The economic values of primary tropical forests are globally significant. Avoiding their loss and degradation is critical to meeting global climate, biodiversity, and social development goals.

Virginia is a Director for Wilderness Australia, and has been involved with large scale ecosystem regeneration, particularly in Australia's south west. Veteran campaigner Luke Chamberlain is fighting for forest protection with Environmental Justice Australia.

Virginia Young was the National Forest Campaign Co-ordinator for The Wilderness Society for many years, and the Past President, Australian Committee for IUCN with involvement in the IUCN Task Force on primary forests and intact forest landscapes. In 2007 Virginia established Ecosystems Climate Alliance and is a member of IUCNs Climate Specialist Group of the World Commission on Protected Areas and the Nature Thematic lead for the IUCN Climate Crisis Commission. She is the Chair of Gondwana Link Ltd, Australia’s first major connectivity conservation programme.

Virginia works with global science leaders to communicate the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity for carbon retention, climate mitigation and adaptation to encourage synergistic climate and biodiversity action.

Luke Chamberlain from Environmental Justice Australia is “building momentum to permanently protect Victoria’s forests”. Luke has decades of experience work on forest protection of native forests in Australia, the EU and the US.

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