Climate targets in European timber-producing countries conflict with goals on forest ecosystem services and biodiversity
Blattert, Clemens; Mönkkönen, Mikko; Burgas, Daniel; Di Fulvio, Fulvio; Toraño Caicoya, Astor; Vergarechea, Marta; Klein, Julian; Hartikainen, Markus; Antón-Fernández, Clara; Astrup, Rasmus; Emmerich, Michael; Forsell, Nicklas; Lukkarinen, Jani; Lundström, Johanna; Pitzén, Samuli; Poschenrieder, Werner; Primmer, Eeva; Snäll, Tord; Eyvindson, Kyle (2023)
Blattert, Clemens
Mönkkönen, Mikko
Burgas, Daniel
Di Fulvio, Fulvio
Toraño Caicoya, Astor
Vergarechea, Marta
Klein, Julian
Hartikainen, Markus
Antón-Fernández, Clara
Astrup, Rasmus
Emmerich, Michael
Forsell, Nicklas
Lukkarinen, Jani
Lundström, Johanna
Pitzén, Samuli
Poschenrieder, Werner
Primmer, Eeva
Snäll, Tord
Eyvindson, Kyle
Julkaisusarja
Communications earth & environment
Volyymi
4
Numero
1
Sivut
12 p.
Springer Nature
2023
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023042438251
http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023042438251
Tiivistelmä
The European Union (EU) set clear climate change mitigation targets to reach climate neutrality, accounting for forests and their woody biomass resources. We investigated the consequences of increased harvest demands resulting from EU climate targets. We analysed the impacts on national policy objectives for forest ecosystem services and biodiversity through empirical forest simulation and multi-objective optimization methods. We show that key European timber-producing countries – Finland, Sweden, Germany (Bavaria) – cannot fulfil the increased harvest demands linked to the ambitious 1.5°C target. Potentials for harvest increase only exists in the studied region Norway. However, focusing on EU climate targets conflicts with several national policies and causes adverse effects on multiple ecosystem services and biodiversity. We argue that the role of forests and their timber resources in achieving climate targets and societal decarbonization should not be overstated. Our study provides insight for other European countries challenged by conflicting policies and supports policymakers.
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