Co-designing Holistic Forest-based Policy Pathways for Climate Change Mitigation

To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the EU set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55% in 2030 and to become climate neutral by 2050 (European Green Deal, European Climate Law, EU ‘Fit for 55’ climate package). This requires major societal and economic reforms, and new and additional GHG reduction efforts within all sectors (e.g., revised LULUCF Regulation, REDII). Forests and forestry play an essential role in this context as they provide natural carbon sinks and their products can substitute for emissions-intensive materials, thereby reducing emissions. However, forest carbon sinks are non-permanent and threatened by human interference (deforestation, degradation), as well as by climate change including natural disturbances. Moreover, climate change and poorly implemented mitigation measures might negatively impact other (forest) ecosystem services, in particular serving as biodiversity habitats. Simultaneously, the EU strives to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems, including the strict protection of all remaining primary and old-growth forests in Europe (Biodiversity Strategy, new Forest Strategy for 2030), while using and managing natural resources sustainably and contributing to climate neutrality and adaptation (updated Bioeconomy Strategy, Financial Taxonomy). To meet these multiple and potentially diverging targets, policy pathways are needed that outline alternative trajectories for how European forests and the forest-based sector can contribute to the transition to a climate-neutral and resilient society and economy. ForestPaths aims to develop such policy pathways and to provide insights into the synergies, trade-offs, opportunities, risks, and gaps of possible policy interventions.