Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ForestPaths (Co-designing Holistic Forest-based Policy Pathways for Climate Change Mitigation)
Période du rapport: 2022-09-01 au 2024-02-29
To achieve climate and biodiversity goals, policy pathways are needed that outline alternative trajectories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Forests and the forest-based sector play an essential role in this context as they provide natural carbon sinks and wood products can contribute to reduce emissions. The EU-funded ForestPaths project will co-design, quantify and evaluate comprehensive forest-based policy pathways to maximise forests’ and the forest-based sector's contribution to climate change mitigation. The project will examine the need to adapt forests to climate change impacts, conserve biodiversity and sustain forest ecosystem services. It will also identify feasible climate- and biodiversity-smart management and wood use options across Europe, and analyse co-benefits and trade-offs related to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Moreover, ForestPaths will engage policymakers, forest practitioners, regional and national authorities, the forest-based sector, certification bodies, researchers and civil society.
WP1 mapped forest management approaches through a literature review and an analysis of repeated forest inventory measurements. WP1 also reviewed typologies of forest practitioners in Europe and identified factors influencing forest practitioners' decisions to gauge their perspectives and goals regarding these strategies. Furthermore, WP1 developed a Climate and Biodiversity-Smart (CBS) definition and engaged actively in crafting CBS strategies, seeking insights from experts through workshops and literature reviews.
WP2 developed the European Forest Disturbance Atlas covering the period 1984-2023. Based on these maps, the development of empirical disturbance models has been initiated. Separately, a set of structure and composition maps is currently in development.
The advancements in WP3 include the utilisation of national forest inventory data for model initialisation, providing a robust foundation for simulation efforts later on in the project. Disturbance modelling techniques and mortality models, incorporating rule-based management options to enhance simulation accuracy, have been advanced. Finally, WP3 has updated the link between management strategies and socio-economic factors.
WP4 identified the wood products to be studied in detail with help of stakeholders. Progress has been made in advancing a dynamic Material Flow Analysis for EU wood flows covering these products, and developing a protocol for consistently linking models and tools. The WP4 has also advanced Life Cycle Assessment software, incorporating new tools like timex_lca and Aiphoria for dynamic modelling and wood flow analysis. Efforts have been focused on collecting and preparing Life Cycle Inventories, with ongoing work on developing climate change substitution factors and LULUCF methodology. Constructing biodiversity impact factors for infrastructure and integration strategies are underway.
Within WP5, a protocol and framework for model simulations has been established, along with the specification of exploratory scenarios for simulation. Efforts have been dedicated to collecting information on various mitigation measures. Coordination has also been undertaken to harmonise socio-economic and climate scenarios across projects.
WP6 organised the project’s first Policy Lab, which involved a range of stakeholders. During the first Policy Lab, the project’s Policy Engagement Forum was launched, which will include various in-person and online events, including events organised together with other projects. WP6 also analysed policies related to climate change and biodiversity pertinent to forests.
WP2 developed the European Forest Disturbance Atlas covering the period 1984-2023. Based on these maps, the development of empirical disturbance models has been initiated. Separately, a set of structure and composition maps is currently in development.
The advancements in WP3 include the utilisation of national forest inventory data for model initialisation, providing a robust foundation for simulation efforts later on in the project. Disturbance modelling techniques and mortality models, incorporating rule-based management options to enhance simulation accuracy, have been advanced. Finally, WP3 has updated the link between management strategies and socio-economic factors.
WP4 identified the wood products to be studied in detail with help of stakeholders. Progress has been made in advancing a dynamic Material Flow Analysis for EU wood flows covering these products, and developing a protocol for consistently linking models and tools. The WP4 has also advanced Life Cycle Assessment software, incorporating new tools like timex_lca and Aiphoria for dynamic modelling and wood flow analysis. Efforts have been focused on collecting and preparing Life Cycle Inventories, with ongoing work on developing climate change substitution factors and LULUCF methodology. Constructing biodiversity impact factors for infrastructure and integration strategies are underway.
Within WP5, a protocol and framework for model simulations has been established, along with the specification of exploratory scenarios for simulation. Efforts have been dedicated to collecting information on various mitigation measures. Coordination has also been undertaken to harmonise socio-economic and climate scenarios across projects.
WP6 organised the project’s first Policy Lab, which involved a range of stakeholders. During the first Policy Lab, the project’s Policy Engagement Forum was launched, which will include various in-person and online events, including events organised together with other projects. WP6 also analysed policies related to climate change and biodiversity pertinent to forests.
• ForestPaths mapped a wide range of forest management practices that are applied across Europe (D1.1). Environment conditions (topography, climate) have clear impacts on observed harvest rates across Europe, constraining the possibilities and choices forest owners/managers have. Clear differences in observed harvest intensity exist between countries, probably related to differences in (among others) forest history, forest management culture, ownership, and importance of the forest industry.
• ForestPaths investigated factors and processes influencing forest practitioners’ decisions (D1.1 & 1.2). Based on a qualitative interview study, eight subcategories of factors are found to influence the forest management decisions of European forest practitioners. These factors can be grouped as agent-based factors, structural factors and ecological factors.
• ForestPaths developed a next generation of forest disturbances covering 38 European countries for the period 1984-2023 (D2.1). The new maps have been developed using innovative algorithms that allow the attribution of disturbances to their underlying disturbance agent. The maps are included in a European Forest Disturbance Atlas, which is available online through Earth Engine Apps and from Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/records/10885507(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)).
• ForestPaths mapped the current policy landscape affecting European forestry and wood use (D6.2). Existing policies address forestry and wood use differently. The impact was found to be positive for most policies regarding climate mitigation. Adaptation to climate change and protection of biodiversity are less stringently addressed. However, none of the assessed policies had overall negative impacts on any of these goals.
• ForestPaths investigated factors and processes influencing forest practitioners’ decisions (D1.1 & 1.2). Based on a qualitative interview study, eight subcategories of factors are found to influence the forest management decisions of European forest practitioners. These factors can be grouped as agent-based factors, structural factors and ecological factors.
• ForestPaths developed a next generation of forest disturbances covering 38 European countries for the period 1984-2023 (D2.1). The new maps have been developed using innovative algorithms that allow the attribution of disturbances to their underlying disturbance agent. The maps are included in a European Forest Disturbance Atlas, which is available online through Earth Engine Apps and from Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/records/10885507(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)).
• ForestPaths mapped the current policy landscape affecting European forestry and wood use (D6.2). Existing policies address forestry and wood use differently. The impact was found to be positive for most policies regarding climate mitigation. Adaptation to climate change and protection of biodiversity are less stringently addressed. However, none of the assessed policies had overall negative impacts on any of these goals.