Increasing climate-related resilience in the forest-based value chains? A policy perspective

Alice Ludvig, Blasius Schmid, Barbara Öllerer, Laura Nikinmaa, Pilar Hurtado, Montserrat Rodriguez-Ogea, Anne Toppinen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

The forestry sector is currently facing several parallel challenges in coping with climate change-related disturbances, biodiversity loss, increasing wood use for substituting fossil materials, and other ecosystem functions like recreational use. On the one hand, the number of climate- and land use- related policy regulations is constantly increasing. On the other hand, the forest-based value chain includes different segments ranging from carbon storage and mitigation in forests to timber production and bioenergy. This article aims to draw a comprehensive picture for grasping these complexities across Europe. It analyses the policy efforts that want to increase climate-related resilience along these value chain sections. The research addresses firstly the conceptual question of “what ought to become resilient” from a policy perspective in order to secondly ask “how do the current policies relate climate-goals with resilience in the forestry sector?” Conceptually, we disentangle resilience into analytical criteria for identification in policy documents. In addition, we discuss interpretations of resilience-relevance with policy experts from Europe using two focus groups and a number of targeted interviews. The results show a divided picture. Whilst for all these experts, tackling climate-change is a priority, our results show that the notion of resilience is used differently in the related policy strategies. In particular, we reveal some deviating strategic targets across climate-related resilience and other societal demands. We subsume those under “environmental demands” and “productivity demands” along the forest-based value chain. In recommendation to policies, this entails intensified communication between the different departments dealing with resilience for Biodiversity and resilience in a Bioeconomy.

Original languageEnglish
Article number103314
JournalForest Policy and Economics
Volume168
Number of pages12
ISSN1389-9341
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2024
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors

Fields of Science

  • Biodiversity
  • Bioeconomy
  • New Forest Strategy
  • Policy documents
  • Qualitative methods
  • Trade-offs
  • 1172 Environmental sciences
  • 4112 Forestry

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