As the world's population looks set to grow to nearly 9 billion by 2040 from 7 billion now, and the number of middle-class consumers increases by 3 billion over the next 20 years, the demand for resources will rise exponentially.

Please consider participating in one of the upcoming webinars to learn more about the the voluntary, interim cookstove "Tiers of Performance” that we (PCIA) plan to finalize through the International Workshop Agreement.

"Legacy Foundation is happy to announce the publication and availability of three new biomass briquette supporting manuals."

This should be sweet music to the ears of The Charcoal Project supporters who believe wood energy can be compatible with environmental conservation, GHG emissions reduction, and a source of renewable energy for low-carbon economic growth.

It provides examples of the use of briquettes as a sustainable alternative to charcoal in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and provides insight into the future of charcoal stoves with inputs from leading stove testers and developers.

The bulletin also looks at the issue of sustainable charcoal production, and new research and development towards more efficient production methods and sustainable charcoal initiatives.

We'd like to thank PCIA Partner Jean Kim Chaix, Director of The Charcoal Project, who served as our guest editor for this edition and provided support and guidance on Bulletin 29's overall content.

Published in Cifor's brief, it says, "The Congolese government needs to immediately improve management of the sector, in collaboration with stakeholders. The national Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) programme creates momentum for this."

This message is our progress report to you, our donors, our investors.