The post Gearing up for the 9th Ministerial Conference: FOREST EUROPE’s Expert Level Meeting set the stage first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

Several decades ago, FOREST EUROPE developed a set of Criteria and Indicators (C&I) for SFM, that was improved and revised over the years. Those are publicly available, and countries use it as a very important tool for national and European forest policy, and for the development of their National Forest Inventories. Based on the information obtained by these C&I, the State of Europe’s Forests report is regularly published every five years.  

The existing pan-European indicators (available here) need to be further developed to adequately address the new and complex demands on forests due to threats triggered by climate change, habitat change, and species loss (Prins et al., 2023). The FE indicators revision process aims to be in coherence with the main political goals and instruments such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Aichi-Targets, Global Forest Goals, EU forest biodiversity-related strategies, etc. 

You can discover more reading:  

• the policy brief European Forest Biodiversity Indicators at a Glance also suggests a possible way forward.
• the full report Potential for revision of FOREST EUROPE indicators under criterion 4 to obtain a full picture, discussing each FE biodiversity indicator and recommendations for the future to optimize FE indicators.  

Reference  

 Prins, K.; Köhl, M.; Linser, S. (2023): Is the concept of sustainable forest management still fit for purpose? EnvSciPol, forthcoming 

The post Improving biodiversity monitoring in sustainable forest management first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

On November 9, government representatives and practitioners from all over Europe came together in Berlin for the second FOREST EUROPE High-Level Talks to address one question: How can sustainable forest management help make Europe’s forests more resilient to the consequences of climate change?

For those who don’t know, FOREST EUROPE is a pan-European forest policy process at the ministerial level in which guidelines, criteria, and indicators of sustainable forest management are developed. And we had the opportunity to be the youth representatives.

What have we seen? What are the bullet points we, the Youth, take from this day full of panel discussions? This is our perspective on the topic of „growing healthier forests“ and the efforts the government representatives make in their countries.

The high-level meeting focused on the consequences of the climate crisis in European forests. In his welcoming speech, the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, called for knowledge and forces to be pooled in Europe in order to make greater use of them for our forests, which are severely affected by the climate crisis:

“Our forests are important comrades-in-arms in the fight against the climate crisis and its consequences. Our forests do not end at national borders. Protecting our forests and adapting them to the climate crisis is, therefore, a pan-European challenge. We can only overcome it together.”

As we should know, it is not easy to develop a Europe-wide forest policy. Forests in Europe are very diverse in terms of their tree species composition, climatic conditions and the extent of changes caused by climate change, and social relationships to forests are also very diverse.

Accordingly, Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) does not necessarily equal resilient forest management everywhere, as stated by the professor of ecosystem dynamics and forest management at the Technical University of Munich, Rupert Seidl. It needs deliberate considerations and time frames to enhance a process of resilience. The director of the Icelandic Forest Service, Þröstur Eysteinsson, hits the nail on the head: “there is no „one fits all“-solution.”

So why is it still important to talk to each other? In times of fast-changing environmental and climatic conditions, nobody knows how to act for the best. The rule „local is best“ loses its validity, and we need forest experts to be more open-minded to interlinked knowledge from everywhere in the world.

Since the climatic conditions are changing faster than ever, different problems occur, but in many cases other nations have faced these problems already. With collaboration and constructive scientific dialogue, we can profit from problems other nations have faced and work together. One good core concern is, therefore, to build and establish a European platform to pool expertise and research findings on protecting forests from the climate crisis. The planned “Forest Risk Facility” (FoRISK Facility) is intended to be a permanent facility for partners and initiatives to receive assistance for preventing risks, coping with risks, and adapting forests. Shared knowledge is the best knowledge.

The HLPD was very professionally organized. As the youth representatives, we did not have much delegation experience beforehand, so it was a pleasure to get the opportunity here. The Moderator, Jo O’Hara, did a fantastic job and led in an emotional and empathic way through the day.  The content of the panelists was substantial and eloquent, which is important for the broader FOREST EUROPE process.

On the second day, we did an excursion in the Grunewald, which was beautiful in the autumn-shaped colorful forest around Berlin. It was also a great opportunity to get to know each other better and to dive deeper into certain topics in smaller groups.

What we missed a bit during the conversations is a bigger emphasis on how important it is to gather ideas for increasing the acceptance of SFM by society. Social acceptance and participatory processes in forestry activities are the root of every forest strategy that is overseen most of the time. In recent times, when many forests look devastated, it is more important to legitimize the expertise of foresters and to make it visible to everyone that foresters act scientifically and to the best of their knowledge and belief.

A lot of this issue relies on our own acts: Foresters need to be more open-minded to other interest groups and sectors in society. Regarding international collaboration, we need to set the same prerequisites for all signatory states and implement an effective and fruitful exchange. Then, we can set a good example of an efficient and action-oriented policy that gets adapted within the FOREST EUROPE process.

Check here the interviews with the Secretary General of the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF), Fanny-Pomme Langue, and the Communications Manager of the International Union of Forest-Research Organizations (IUFRO), José Bolaños.

The post IFSA reports on the High-Level Policy Dialogue: Forests do not end at national borders – how can united knowledge help Europe’s forests? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

Join us for conversations with forestry experts from different pan-European regions as we explore the challenges, solutions, and the way forward to preserve our forests for generations to come. Our speakers will address key issues, including the important role of FOREST EUROPE, how Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) can ensure the multi-functions of our forests, strategies to protect our forests from pests, and the critical role of biodiversity when it comes to managing our forests. Hear their voices, share their passion, and be inspired by their stories.

Discover the benefits of impactful forest policymaking and sustainable practices from different countries in the pan-European region. Listen to our four episodes here!

The post Join our brand-new podcast: Seeing the forest for the trees first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

But who are the innovators in the forest sector? The Future Forest Initiative prides itself on being Europe’s first sustainable innovation hub for forest and climate and comprises of 512 Network Supporters; 103 Startups, and 48 Startup Mentors. The Initiative is made up of three elements: Future Forest Community to support innovative ideas for the forest of the future; Future Forest Accelerator to support startup innovations until they are ready for the market; and Future Forest Forum, which is an event for innovations in the context of wood and forest.

Blankenburg Castle: Venue of the 2023 Future Forest Forum

On 8-9 September, approximately 300 innovators converged in Blankenburg, Germany, for the 3^rd edition of the Future Forest Forum to exchange ideas and perspectives and to inspire each other to rethink their forest management approaches and take actions centered around innovation for a sustainable forest sector. Start-ups from Germany and other countries in Europe showcased their innovations, which touched on a wide array of forestry topics such as:

• Early wildfire detection done in real-time and alerting local stakeholders about confirmed ignitions.
• Early bark beetle detection and alerts on bark beetle outbreaks.
• Ecosystem Service-Based Value Chains-mushroom growing in logs to provide forest owners with additional income.
• Digitalization & Automation in timber trade, inventories, regenerative nature-based solutions.
• Carbon sinks-Aerial photography and Artificial Intelligence to offer companies local climate projects.
• Bio-based materials for construction that combine both the sustainability of wood with the performance and productivity of advanced composites.
• Bio-Technological Solutions where AI is used to speed up seed quality control through dynamic bioassay analysis.
• Agroforestry
• And many many many more…
• More information about the Future Forest Forum is available here: https://www.futureforest.de/en/future-forest-forum

It is inspiring to see the innovations happening in the forest sector, a sector that has for many years been criticized as being outdated and unable to keep up with the trends in digitalization. The significance of these innovations is being acknowledged by different stakeholders. As such, the theme of the 2024 International Day of Forests will be “Forests and Innovation.” At FOREST EUROPE we are looking forward to continuing with the conversions on how to highlight the innovation potential of the sector, give visibility to the innovations taking place and the opportunities and challenges that these innovations bring. We will, therefore, continue to cooperate not only with the Future Forest Initiative but with many more actors in this important field, such as the Bioregions Facility of the European Forest Institute, Forest Technology Platform, the WoodPoP Initiative among others.

Do not forget to join us for the webinar planned to celebrate the International Day of Forests and promote the theme of forests and innovation!

The post Innovation in the forest sector: a reality or wishful thinking? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

This event has been created to react to emerging issues related to forests and the forest-based sector. The HLPD is an open and informal dialogue that provides a space to promote synergies in the pan-European region and beyond. Ministers (Cem Özdemir, German Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture will give a welcome speech), General Directors (e.g., María Jesús Rodríguez de Sancho from Spain, Michael Reinhard from Switzerland), other national representatives (e.g., Stefanie Schmitz from DG Environment representative), as well as high-level representatives of observer countries and organizations (e.g., Juha Niemela EUSTAFOR President, Technische Universität München, Boris Erg, Director of IUCN European Regional Office), will be present in Berlin and will be brought together with the online audience to discuss and learn from each other.

This platform will be an essential milestone for preparing the FOREST EUROPE 9^th Ministerial Conference in 2024 and ministerial documents.

The event will have two consecutive panel discussions where director generals and other participants can interact directly with high-level speakers. To set the scene, renowned scientists will present a science-policy brief and summarize the state of the art in research.

High-level international speakers will have the space to present their experiences and national examples of Sustainable Forest Management and resilience in forests from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. There will be space for interaction with the participants in Berlin and the online audience on both panels.

Stay tuned and check all the details on the event website

The post Growing Healthier Forests: How can Sustainable Forest Management enhance resilience? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

The initiative enabled signatories, observers, and international and Ukrainian experts to join their efforts about the support necessary for the recovery of Ukrainian forests through a series of workshops (see the picture below about the fire management one). The experts were able to present their own projects and initiatives and discuss possible support necessary in the country. These exchanges further stimulate the work of the partners and the FOREST EUROPE Secretariat in proposing a list of policy recommendations.

The final report published by the Liaison Unit Bonn today is the result of a review, based on official information, done by the main author Liubov Poliakova, supported by Silvia Abruscato, Santiago Alarcon, and the entire FOREST EUROPE Liaison Unit Bonn team. This successful work involved the consultation of several experts in the field, as well as signatories and observers of the FOREST EUROPE process.

Read, download, and share the report here!

The post Towards a sustainable recovery: Insights from Ukraine’s forests first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

Hotel Steigenberger in Dresden, where the ELM was held.

Rapid Response Mechanism: supporting the Ukrainian forest sector and its forests

The ELM acknowledged the full implementation of the Ministerial Decision to support the Ukrainian forest sector and its forests from August 2022, which was created within FOREST EUROPE’s rapid response mechanism to react to emerging issues of relevance. The ELM recognized the importance of Ukraine’s forests and the challenges they face due to the war and demonstrated a strong commitment to helping the country in recovering. ELM’s delegates also agreed to a smooth transfer of the work to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to ensure continued support and cooperation in the region.

Silvia Abruscato introducing the High-Level Policy Dialogue 2023.

The 2^nd High-Level Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and resilience

The ELM delegates supported the organization of the 2^nd High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD), which will be held in Berlin on November 9, 2023, providing a platform for policymakers, experts, practitioners, forest owners, students, researchers, and interested stakeholders to discuss how SFM can maintain and enhance forest resilience, from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. With a hybrid meeting format, the event aims to harness high-level speakers’ collective knowledge and experience to chart a path to a more sustainable future. Stay tuned to our social media for updates, or visit talks.foresteurope.org.

Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland were very active in the discussions.

Think Tank on the dynamic concept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)

The presentation of the ongoing efforts of the Think Tank about SFM highlighted the need to address gaps in current policy developments and emphasized the importance of developing tools and instruments to enhance SFM. The ELM recognized its relevance as a core activity of FOREST EUROPE. Additionally, forest monitoring was emphasized as a synergistic approach, and the importance of creating new narratives on SFM as a dynamic concept was underscored. The delegates’ opinion reinforces the significance of these efforts and sets the stage for future progress in SFM, monitoring, and reporting.

Yana Vikhtiuk (UA) and Tomasz Markiewicz (PL).

Preparations for the 9th Ministerial Conference in 2024

The meeting concluded with discussions on the preparations for the upcoming 9th Ministerial Conference (9MC), scheduled for October 1-2, 2024, near Bonn, Germany. As a significant event during the FOREST EUROPE signatory’s term, the conference represents the decision-making body of the process and marks the end of the German chairmanship. Ministers of signatory countries, renowned experts, and high-level representatives from observers’ organizations from the pan-European region will convene to discuss strategies and actions shaping the future of our forests. One key goal is to make the SFM concept fit for the future and to establish a Forest Risk Facility (FoRISK), to address forest risks, like climate change, forest fires, and biodiversity loss.

Green Jobs and Forest Education developments

The report on Green Jobs and Forest Education emphasized involving future generations and addressing challenges in shaping innovative pathways. Engaging policymakers is crucial in finding collaborative solutions to these challenges. The benefits and shortage of skilled personnel associated with Green Jobs and Forest Education were acknowledged, and the ELM offered guidance for future efforts in green job development and forest education.

Field trip on the second day after the conference

After being in a meeting room, an exciting field excursion took place to delve into the practical application of SFM in the State forests of Saxony, followed by a visit to the esteemed Campus Tharandt, one of the oldest forestry educational institutions worldwide, established in 1811.

Excursion to the Tharandt forest.

What have we learned?

It is important to maintain the momentum and build on the results of this meeting. Collaborative efforts, sound policy frameworks, and proactive measures are critical to achieving the vision of SFM for the benefit of current and future generations. The ELM demonstrated what can be achieved when nations, international organizations, and NGOs join in their pursuit of a more sustainable future.

Chris Quine (UK) and Helga Pülzl (EFI).

The post Signatories and observers of FOREST EUROPE met in Dresden to shape the future of sustainable forest management first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

The workshop is part of FOREST EUROPEs work towards the implementation of a pan-European forest risk knowledge facility (FoRISK) to support forests adaptation to changing climatic and site conditions as well as to enhance the resilience and mitigation potential of forests at a pan-European level.

The post Joint Workshop | Living with storms: towards resilience and adaptation to forest disturbances first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.

These questions will be addressed in the SILVA Network Annual Conference, held at the University of Sopron on April, 11 – 13^th 2023. The program includes inspiring presentations and a full-day excursion into the educational forests of Sopron University and the nearby national park.

It pays to be quick: An early bird rate applies until February 21^st. Please also keep an eye at the deadline for abstract submission if you are interested to present.

Please go to the SILVA Network website to register.

The post SILVA Network Annual Conference: Communication – a neglected topic in higher forestry education and further education? first appeared on FOREST EUROPE.