Welcome
Why forests?
This site builds around my work on European forest policy. My interest in this area stem from the impact different sectoral interests are having on the forest-based sector as well as work I have done on European Union (EU) forest-related policy. It is in fact the hodgepodge of socio-economic and environmental interests competing over one natural resource that I find particularly interesting to study.
Forest Policy
What exactly does “forest policy” mean, not only within the context of this site, but also from a wider perspective, whether at the national, regional, or international level? Naturally, you may think that forest policy is only about forests (or trees) or perhaps wood-based products, however, it is not always easy to delimit what we exactly mean when we refer to forest policy.
The EU & forests
For the EU, forests per se remain outside the realm of the EUs (exclusive and shared) competences. This means the EU can only implement non-legally binding (or soft) policy instruments. The same usually applies to global or pan-European agreements on forests, such as the United Nations Non-legally Binding Instrument on All Types of Forests.
Forest Fires and EU Policy: Navigating the Smoke
In recent years, Europe has experienced an alarming increase in forest fires, with devastating impacts on ecosystems, communities, and economies. From the record-breaking wildfires of 2022 to the yearly destruction of hundreds of thousands of hectares, it is clear that Europe’s forests are under threat. But how is the EU responding to this growing crisis?
Through a deep dive into EU Forest Fire Policy, find out more about how forest fires are framed in various EU documents and strategies. By understanding the key narratives around risk, climate resilience, and rural development, it is possible to gain insight into the EU’s evolving approach to wildfire management. As the frequency and intensity of fires rise, my latest paper highlights the urgent need for coordinated action, innovative solutions, and proactive policies to protect Europe’s forests for future generations.
Crosswalking the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
As the world grapples with accelerating biodiversity loss and climate crises, the European Union (EU) and the global community have been stepping up efforts to combat these challenges. Two important frameworks are at the forefront of this work: the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF).
Through the lens of forest ecosystems, my latest article considers some of the synergies between these two frameworks, highlighting the potential and challenges of their alignment.
Key implications for policy and practice
- The EU’s restoration target was reduced from 30% to 20% by 2030, falling short of the KM-GBF’s targets.
- Commitments in the restoration regulation have shifted from binding obligations to subjective aims, undermining the accountability of EU Member States in meeting regional and global biodiversity targets.
- Including renewable energy production from forest biomass may conflict with forest conservation goals, challenging the balance between climate and biodiversity objectives.
- Economic factors influencing restoration planning may lead to uneven commitment and prioritisation across EU Member States.
- The restoration regulation’s focus on specific restoration actions may not fully address the broader biodiversity goals of the KM-GBF, such as sustainable use and benefit-sharing.
If you fancy reading more or check out my post at the resilience blog!
Breaking down barriers to sustainability transition
Have you ever wondered what role public officials and policy practitioners play in implementing integrative approaches to natural resources management? Our recent paper sheds light on the subject, revealing the impact of individual, organisational, contextual, political, and external factors on the success of a nexus project.
- The findings highlight the crucial role street-level bureaucrats play in enforcing policies and the significant influence they have on the effectiveness and acceptability of policies. The research also highlights the importance of individual values and norms, particularly their openness to change, in the success of a project.
- On the flip side, the paper also stresses the challenges posed by organisational and political factors, and the need for active leadership and clear guidelines in implementing a nexus approach.
- Our study provides valuable lessons for researchers and practitioners and demonstrates the importance of examining the street-level bureaucracy perspective in the context of sustainability transitions. Future research could delve into the link between the street-level perspective and organizational learning, institutional capacities, and institutional change.
Discover more about the nexus approach!
Circularity concepts in forest-based industries
The world’s prevalent economic model, based on a ‘take-make-use-dispose’ approach, cannot maintain and raise human standards of living without causing environmental degradation and incurring economic risks. Decoupling economic activity from the increasing demand for natural resources could be done through circular, bio-based economy approaches leading to a regenerative growth model, allowing humankind to reduce its environmental footprint on the planet.
Implementing Circular-Bioeconomy Principles
The wood-based sector has the potential to contribute significantly to the circular bioeconomy. Our paper examines the potential for a circular wood-based system. The qualitative value chain analysis demonstrates that a circular approach requires transformation across entire value chains. Implementing circular bioeconomy principles will require new business models, cooperation across sectors and companies, and the application of new technologies and management tools.
National Governments support a Declaration on Forests and Land Use and launch a Global Forest Finance Pledge at the COP26
Under the umbrella of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the ongoing 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, 124 countries have just signed a Declaration on Forests and Land Use, from now on referred to as the Glasgow Declaration) as of 2 November 2021. The declaration sets out to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 and facilitate a sustainable land-use transition.
The Art of the “Green” Deal
The European Green Deal is being promoted as a cornerstone for European policy over the next five years, setting out an ambitious package of measures that aim to facilitate a sustainable green transition in the EU. This article explores how forests have been framed in the Green Deal and casts some light on its potential role in the development of the third EU Forest Strategy.
Downloading Europe
The EU Forest Action Plan was a tool that facilitated voluntary cooperation between EU Member States (no enforcement capabilities), with some coordinating actions being implemented by the European Commission. The reason for returning to the Forest Action Plan in this article is to provide further insight into how it was implemented by EU Member States.
And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul
– John Muir
Can nature conservation and wood production be reconciled in managed forests?
This article sets out to improve our understanding of the framework conditions that surround the uptake of Integrated forest management (IFM), focusing on the driving factors that influence the integration and reconciliation of biodiversity conservation and wood production as an inherent component of IFM.
A new EU Forest Strategy for 2030
One of the flagship actions planned for under the European Green Deal was the development of a third European Union Forest Strategy for which the Commission prepared a proposal in 2021. The European Commission has characterised the objective of the third Strategy as “a vision and concrete actions to improve the quantity and quality of European Union forests and strengthen their protection, restoration and resilience. It aims to adapt Europe’s forests to the new conditions, weather extremes and high uncertainty brought about by climate change”.
A forest of these trees is a spectacle too much for one man to see
– David Douglas
The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Environmental data value chains – Is sharing caring?
Access to high-quality, timely and comparable data is a prerequisite for an effective decision-making process and having such data available for the environment is fundamental to efficient and evidence-based policymaking. This article reviews the establishment of a Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) in Europe and Central Asia to improve our understanding of how environmental data value chains are being employed to produce, share and use reliable data on the environment and whether this data is used in policymaking.
Natural Resource Nexuses
The nexus approach is a way of ensuring more integrated and sustainable perspectives of natural resource use beyond the traditional sectoral “silos”. This is an approach that can be applied at all scales. I have, together with colleagues in the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), published a report that analyses seven nexus hotspots in an attempt to showcase specific challenges and opportunities for a nexus approach. This was done within a broader analytical framework, including regional megatrends and the SDGs, for the pan-European region.