About: forests
EU plans sweeping bioenergy review by end 2020
The European Commission intends to push a “transformative approach” to all forms of bioenergy – including biofuels and woody biomass – as part of a biodiversity strategy due to be unveiled on Wednesday (20 May).
Tackling tropical deforestation: The need for EU leadership
The EU's commitment to introduce mandatory due diligence standards on companies importing products linked to environmental damage and human rights abuses deserves praise, write Darragh Conway and Alison Hoare. It now must be followed through, they argue.
EU aims to ring-fence ‘old-growth forests’ in new biodiversity plan
At least 10% of land – considerably more than the current 3% – will have to be declared “strictly protected areas” under a new EU biodiversity strategy due to be unveiled later this month.
Von der Leyen’s first 100 days: Are Europe’s forests – and the climate – in good hands?
The Green Deal promoted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has the potential to strengthen European, as well as global, forests and make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, writes Hannah Mowat.
Forestry seen as key to Russian climate change efforts
The country’s vast forests and marshes should play an important role in decarbonisation efforts, according to a 2035 outlook from Russian energy company Lukoil.
Time to restore our forest heritage, not plant more lonely trees
Donald Trump surprised environmentalists when he announced the US would join the World Economic Forum’s one trillion tree planting initiative, writes Peter Wohlleben. However such schemes can turn into disasters if they aren't implemented the right way, he warns.
Bioeconomy hype shouldn’t put biodiversity preservation at risk, experts say
While experts claim that Poland could become key for the EU’s bioeconomy, scientists are calling for the sustainable use of forest resources in energy production. EURACTIV Poland reports.
French forest industry not taking advantage of ever-growing forests
The forest continues to expand in France, according to industry figures, but the industry is not making the most of it. EURACTIV France reports.
Indigenous leaders urge EU to protect forest homeland
Brazilian indigenous leaders pleaded Tuesday (12 November) with European lawmakers to protect the Amazon and the communities living there, warning that the West's insatiable appetite was risking the health of the planet.
Bioenergy, forestry sectors jump on EU’s green finance bandwagon
Bioenergies, including wood, biofuels and forest-based industries, should be recognised under the EU’s draft sustainable finance taxonomy, in line with the recently-updated renewable energy directive, an industry coalition has claimed.
Money to burn
Harmful EU financing driving deforestation shows the need for Commissioner designate Frans Timmermans to commit to new rules on corporate responsibility for deforestation and environmental harm, writes Giulia Bondi.
Forest protection likely to be new priority for EU Parliament
Large areas of forest are being cleared worldwide for the agricultural industry. Although the EU requires its contracting partners to protect the environment, it lacks the means for enforcement. Environmentalists and the European Parliament see an urgent need for action. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Large companies fail to disclose impact on deforestation
Almost three out of four companies with a significant footprint on the world's forests have failed to provide data on their impact on global deforestation in 2018, according to a study published by environmental non-profit organisation CDP on Tuesday (16 July).
Romanian national parks and forest at risk
Romania hosts the largest remains of natural and old growth forests in the whole of the EU. However, they are not on the safe side yet, writes Luc Bas.
French low-carbon label plants seeds of agricultural and forestry transition
A new label aims to encourage the emergence of projects that reduce and sequester greenhouse gas emissions. EURACTIV’s partner le Journal de l’environnement reports.
Burning trees as climate mitigation: A resort to the Court
There is no debate that burning wood for energy emits more greenhouse gases per unit of energy than burning fossil fuels. Yet the EU's renewable energy directive continues to uphold that burning forest wood is "carbon neutral," write Jean-Pascal van Ypersele and Mary S. Booth.
Finnish agronomist: ‘We need climate-smart agriculture’
A lower carbon balance can be achieved by sequestering CO2 through plant growth, a notion that has a major influence on how Finland manages its forests and croplands, says Liisa Pietola. EURACTIV Germany spoke to the Finnish agronomist in an interview.
Paper, the forgotten forest destroyer
As the world awakes to the threat posed by palm oil and soy to our forests, it’s in danger of overlooking how paper and packaging drives industrial logging, mis-shapes millions of hectares of forest landscapes and creates monoculture plantations, writes Sini Eräjää.
The EU’s trade challenge
The international trading system is facing a crisis – but protectionism isn’t the biggest test EU leaders must deal with, writes Perrine Fournier.
European forests cannot further curb global warming, French study warns
European countries should not heavily rely on their forests to curb climate change. However, they should instead ensure that forests are protected from climate change, underlined a study published in Nature on Wednesday (10 October). EURACTIV France reports.
EU-Japan free trade deal threatens the fight for legal timber
While moves towards greater international cooperation are welcome, the EU’s growing number of new free trade deals must be scrutinised. And in the case of the Japan-EU free trade agreement, the deal’s impact on the fight against illegal timber is a pressing concern, writes Perrine Fournier.
The inherent dangers of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
As the European Commission considers its long-term strategy to cut EU greenhouse gas emissions, Julia Christian says they must reject an unproven and dangerous technology in favour of protecting and restoring natural forests.
Could EU-Indonesia free trade deal end palm oil conundrum?
As a new round of free trade negotiations between the European Union and Indonesia begins in Brussels, Perrine Fournier argues that improving forest governance should be central to any agreement.