Sweden and Finland warned this week that strict EU climate rules on forestry could have severe economic consequences, urging Brussels to revise its targets for carbon absorption from forests.<\/p>\n
As part of the European Union\u2019s drive to reach net zero emissions by 2050, both countries are required to increase the amount of CO2 absorbed by their forests under the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation.<\/p>\n
But Stockholm and Helsinki said they are set to miss the targets for both 2021-25 and 2026-30, citing the impact of climate change on forest growth and higher demand for wood following Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe EU\u2019s current framework for forest use \u2026 is a major problem and, if not revised, would lead to unreasonable and unjustified restrictions on Swedish forestry,\u201d Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on social media late on Monday. \u201cTo, in practice, severely restrict large parts of Nordic forestry is the wrong path to take.\u201d<\/p>\n
Industry and environmental groups alike see forests as central to Europe\u2019s climate strategy. Forestry companies highlight the economic role of sustainable forest management, bioenergy, and wood-based products in replacing fossil fuels, plastics, and concrete. But scientists have warned that intensive harvesting and monoculture plantations weaken forests\u2019 ability to absorb carbon dioxide, threatening EU climate goals.<\/p>\n
In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Sweden and Finland said their obligations \u2014 an annual increase of roughly 4 million tonnes of CO2 uptake by 2030 for Sweden and 3 million tonnes for Finland \u2014 were unrealistic.<\/p>\n
Reduced logging would \u201centail dire consequences for our economies as well as labour markets,\u201d the two governments said.<\/p>\n
Forests cover about 70% of the land area in both countries. Wood products account for more than 10% of Sweden\u2019s exports and nearly 20% of Finland\u2019s, with more than 200,000 people employed in the sector.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204,5812],"tags":[3291,3308,3328,5821],"class_list":["post-96853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news","category-global-trends","tag-eu","tag-finland","tag-sweden","tag-targets","topic-forestry","topic-lumber","topic-sawmilling","topic-wood-products","area-europe","area-global"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n