About: forests
‘Too early’ to revise Europe’s bioenergy rules, EU countries say
A coalition of 10 EU member states, led by Sweden, have written to the French EU Council Presidency and the European Commission to warn against the planned revision of sustainability criteria for bioenergy, saying it is too early to do so.
Estonia’s wood pellet industry stokes controversy
Estonia's thriving wood pellet industry is pitting environmentalists who warn it increases logging and harms biodiversity against supporters who say it makes good use of wood that would otherwise go to waste.
France to strongly back Commission’s deforestation proposal during EU presidency
France will back the European Commission in fighting deforestation and defending a "high" level of ambition when it takes on the French EU Council Presidency in January for six months, French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie told EU agriculture ministers on 13 December.
NGO’s ‘set fire’ to protest use of forest biomass
On Monday (November 15) a group of activists gathered in front of the European Parliament in Brussels to protest against production of bioenergy in Europe by burning wood.
Hackles raised over ‘unbalanced’ forest policy ahead of EU ministerial meeting
EU countries, industry and lawmakers are pushing back against the European Commission’s new forest strategy, criticising a lack of balance between the different roles performed by forests – economic, social and environmental. VideoPromoted content
Life Terra’s first “Klimawald” takes roots in Germany
Life Terra spoke to Stift Ehreshoven about their castle and estate situated near Cologne, Germany, with 1,500+ ha of forest land that is managed sustainably and the effects of climate change on German forests.
Forest restoration and tree-planting – What impact for climate change mitigation?
The EU has adopted ambitious new targets to curb climate change, with a pledge to make them legally binding.
To stop deforestation, banks too must be reined in
A tough EU law on forest commodities must include both trade and the financial sector, write Irene Wabiwa and Christoph Thies.
MEPs blast Commission’s flagship forest strategy as vague, overstepping EU remit
European lawmakers from across the political spectrum have united in criticism against the European Commission’s new flagship Forest Strategy, describing it as vague and superficial while flagging concerns that it goes beyond the remit of EU competences.
Romania supports EU forest plan, says more talks needed over funding
Romania supports the European Commission's plan to protect forests and harness their ability to fight climate change, but more talks are needed to clarify goals and funding sources, Environment Minister Tánczos Barna said on Monday (19 July).
‘Enough with the burning’: EU executive accused of sacrificing forests
The European Commission has been accused of “sacrificing forests” after it published proposals that would allow trees to continue to be burned for fuel. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
How the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive risks destroying Europe’s forests
If the Europe Union doesn’t want an explosion in the amount of wood being harvested for “renewable heat”, it’s essential that the bugs in the Renewable Energy Directive are fixed, write Samuel Thomas, Dominic Scott and Dr Jan Rosenow.
We can’t burn our way out of the climate crisis
In its new Net Zero scenario, the International Energy Agency (IEA) maps a 60% increase in bioenergy by 2050. But Swapping burning wood for burning coal won’t save the climate, warns Peg Putt.
EURACTIV and Life Terra Foundation – Planting trees in Brussels forest with RFSB
Life Terra is a project co-funded by the LIFE Programme through EISMEA with the goal to plant 500 million trees in Europe over 5 years – 1 tree for every European.
Just 1% of businesses are taking strong action on deforestation: study
An analysis of the anti-deforestation work of 553 of the world's largest businesses has found that just 1% are taking 'best practice' action. This is despite the multi-billion-dollar risks associated with inaction, EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.
The EU’s watershed deforestation moment?
This week Ursula von der Leyen signalled the EU’s desire to lead the world in the fight against global deforestation. But if the key drivers of deforestation aren’t addressed, progress will remain limited, writes Julia Christian.
One Planet Summit: no climate fix without biodiversity
A UN-backed summit Monday of political leaders and CEOs pledging to reverse the accelerating destruction of the natural world was long on promises and short on cash.
‘Net zero’ climate targets? Read the fine print
The worldwide effort to prevent Earth from becoming an unlivable hothouse is in the grips of "net zero" fever.
The answer to deforestation lies in space
The use of satellite technology to track and halt real-time cases of deforestation in a country like Malaysia could become a “blueprint” for ending deforestation in the Amazon, writes Daniel Mackisack.
Europe needs laws to stop import of deforestation-linked products, lawmakers say
The European Parliament on Thursday (22 October) called for the European Union to introduce laws to prevent the import of commodities and products linked to deforestation and human rights abuses.
Official: EU taking first steps to bring forestry into carbon market
The first step to bring forestry under the EU’s emissions trading scheme is to ensure that every tonne of carbon dioxide in the forest is counted so that a certification system for carbon removals can be put in place, Artur Runge-Metzger told EURACTIV.
Forests and climate change
With its 2030 climate plan last month, the European Commission has put the spotlight on forests as Europe's main "carbon sink," saying their ability to store carbon dioxide must be preserved in order to reach the bloc's climate goals.
Forestry’s climate impact ‘invisible’ under UN rules, experts say
Forests are the planet’s biggest carbon “sink” – absorbing more CO2 from the atmosphere than they emit – but their contribution to cooling the earth’s climate are currently not fully accounted for under UN rules, experts point out.