What is it? The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) is an opportunity for the

Commonwealth family to unite to save one of the world’s most important natural habitats - forests.

The QCC will create a pan-Commonwealth network of forest conservation projects, marking Her Majesty The Queen’s service to the Commonwealth and conserving indigenous forests for future generations.

Launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta 2015 and conceived by the Right Honourable Frank Field MP, the QCC is being led by the Royal Commonwealth Society in partnership with Cool Earth and the Commonwealth Forestry Association.

What will it do? The QCC is committed to raising awareness of the value of indigenous

forests and to saving them for future generations. It will create a network of forest conservation projects that brings

collective credibility and integrity to individual Commonwealth initiatives. It will raise the profile of the Commonwealth, demonstrating the capacity

of its 52 member countries to act together as one to ensure forest conservation.

It will use the Commonwealth network to facilitate a programme of knowledge exchange activities, share best practice and to create new, collaborative initiatives that contribute to forest conservation across the globe.

It will create a physical and lasting legacy of The Queen’s leadership of the Commonwealth.

Who can participate?

Every Commonwealth country is invited to participate in the QCC by nominating and dedicating existing or future conservation projects that meet with the broad objectives of the initiative.

Participation in the QCC does not impact on the ownership, sovereignty or management of dedications.

Those countries with limited forest cover will be able to participate through the planting of native trees, the conservation of other indigenous vegetation or by supporting QCC partnerships with fellow Commonwealth members.

Why should you join?

1

Your high-profile dedication will meaningfully demonstrate your country’s actions to address climate change, through forest conservation.

QCC dedications could act to showcase your country’s efforts to meet UN SDG 15, which seeks to ‘Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.’.

Your country will have the opportunity to nominate young foresters for the QCC Youth Training Programme, which will support the professional development of young foresters by placing them at internationally recognised centres in forest conservation and management.

Your dedication will benefit from being part of a wider network, and QCC status may assist governments to conserve participating forest areas.

You will gain the advantages that membership of a select and prestigious brand can provide (e.g. international profile-raising, tourism opportunities, etc.).

Your dedication can act as a focus for forest education and community participation.

What will it cost? A major advantage of the QCC is its utilisation of existing forestry

resources and projects throughout the Commonwealth. Participation is free and comes without regulatory obligations for accredited projects.

Criteria to join the QCC Projects considered for inclusion in the QCC should:

o have the endorsement of the applicable Government (at ministerial-level) and the national forestry/conservation authority;

o contain clear objectives that include sustainable forest conservation; and

o encourage, where possible, the participation of local people in management of the project.

An accreditation process is co-ordinated by the Royal Commonwealth Society, in consultation with Cool Earth and the Commonwealth Forestry Association, to ensure that proposed projects meet the above criteria for QCC accreditation.

As the QCC is a flagship programme in The Queen's name, it is important that proposed projects should not be politically controversial or likely to attract adverse publicity.

2

Accreditation process Upon meeting the eligibility criteria, proposed projects must be registered

in writing with the QCC Project Office, Royal Commonwealth Society, using the attached accreditation form and check-list (see Attachment 1).

Providing that the proposal contains the required information about the proposed project, including evidence that it meets the QCC eligibility criteria, at the time of submission, the assessment period is 2-3 weeks.

Successful projects will be granted permission to bear the QCC logo on all public references to the project. Details of the project will also be reflected on QCC and QCC partner websites.

Profile raising activities

The QCC will have a high-profile presence at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia.

The QCC will have a high-profile presence at Commonwealth Summit in London in April, 2018, to demonstrate Commonwealth leadership in forest conversation.

The PartnersThe Royal Commonwealth Society is a network of individuals and organisations committed to improving the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens across the world – www.thercs.org

Cool Earth is an award-winning UK-based charity that works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction – www.coolearth.org

The Commonwealth Forestry Association links foresters, scientists, students and policy-makers throughout the Commonwealth to seek ways of wise forest management – www.cfa-international.org

For more information, please visit www.queenscommonwealthcanopy.org, or search Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for @queenscanopy

July 2017

3

QCC Project Accreditation Form and Checklist (once completed, please send form to: qccprojectoffice@thercs.org)

Project dataName of nominated projectContact details

NameJob titleAddressPhone numberEmailWebsite

Location CountryRegionGrid referenceLocation map Is a location map attached? Y/N

Canopy details(if known)

Total acres protectedNumber of Trees plantedNumber of local people involved in management

QCC criteria

Evidence of the endorsement of the Government (at ministerial-level) and the national forestry/conservation authority for the project to be dedicated to the QCC.(Letters to be addressed to Mr Michael Lake CBE, Director, The Royal Commonwealth Society)

Are letters attached? Y/N

Describe the history, development and current management of the project, and provide evidence that the project includes objectives that include sustainable forest conservation (up to 300 words).Explain, if appropriate, how local people are involved in management of the project (up to 300 words).

Promotional materials (as applicable)

Attach logo/brand files of the proposed project, and partners (as applicable), for the purposes of promotional activities by QCC partners.

Are the logo/brand files attached? Y/N

Attach high-resolution photographic examples of the proposed project for the purposes of promotional activities by QCC partners.

Are the photographs attached? Y/N