Salvatore Martire

Policy Advisor

European State Forest Association

10th Session of the Winter Forest School at IBL

Sękocin Stary, 13-15 March 2018

Advocating forestryChallenges and lessons learned

from recent EU key policy developments

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY 2

Forestry for Sustainable Development

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Outline

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» EUSTAFOR

– Organisation

– Key messages

– Media

» EU Policy context in relation to forests

» Recent advocacy experiences

– Bioenergy

– Climate policy (LULUCF)

– Bioeconomy

» Conclusions

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

EUSTAFOR is the European State Forest Association

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» Platform of European State

Forest Management

Organizations

– Pan-European expertise

from main Forest

Management

Organizations in MS

» Advocating forestry in

Brussels

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

The European State ForestAssociation

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General Assembly

Executive Committee

• President: Per-Olof Wedin (Sweden)

• Vice-President: Reinhardt Neft (Bavaria)

• Rudolf Freidhager (Austria)

• Pentti Hyttinen (Finland)

• Patrick Falcone (France)

• Josef Svoboda (Czech Republic)

• Gerard Murphy (Ireland)

• Ciprian Pahontu (Romania)

• Andrzej Konieczny (Poland)

Executive Director

• Piotr Borkowski

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Executive Office

• Executive Director: Piotr Borkowski

• Policy Advsior: Salvatore Martire

• Office Manager: Kathleen Begemann

• Associate: Sara Östh

Working Groups and networks

• WG Climate Change

• WG Bioeconomy

• WG Challenges, risks, needs of SFMOs

• Communicators’ Network

The European State ForestAssociation

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Balancing forestry values withSustainable Forest Management

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Economic Value

• Largest single wood supplier in MSs

• Boosting economic prosperity and jobs

• Leading in moving Europe towards a bio-based green economy

• Reliable partners for industry, research and innovation

Environmental Value

• Forerunners in ecologically sound silvicultural methods

• Home for biodiversity

• Regulate climate, nutrient and water cycles, soil protection

• Protect against diseases, flooding, erosion and fire hazards

Social Value

• Ecosystem services and other non-material benefits

• Clean air and water supplies, recreation, scenic and cultural heritage

• Protect infrastructure

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

European Forests

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» EU forests are a growing resource

– 185 million hectares

– Felling / Increment = 65%

» First signs of sink saturation*

– Need to manage forests

Data source: eurostat

*Nabuurs et al.Nature Climate Change, 2013

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Role of Forestry for Jobs and Rural Development

» Forests: more than 42% of EU

lands

» Diversity across European

regions

» Reducing urban/rural gaps

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» Forests: GHG sink

» HWPs: carbon storage

» Wood: material and

energy substitution

Forest-based Bioeconomy for mitigating Climate Change

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EUSTAFOR Media and targets

» Newsletter, Intranet and Library

» Position papers

» Press Releases

» Booklets and other graphic materials

» Public Website & social media

» Events

» Members

» EU institutions & Policy makers

» Other stakeholder & partner

organisations

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Communications challenges in Brussels

» Messages should be perceived as news

» Many ”media” businesses

» Forestry is rarely under the spotlights

– and forest-based industries represent about 7% of EU manufacturing GDP

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Forests and EU Policies

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RED

Natura 2000 Sustainability of bioenergy

LULUCFEU Biodiversity

Strategy 2020

Plant health control Regulation

Green Infrastructure

Water Framework Directive

Rural Development

New CAPEU Timber Regulation

EU Forest

Strategy (?)Research &

Innovation

H2020/FP9

Public procurement

Forest Europe

ILUC

EU Bioeconomy

Strategy

EU Strategy on Adaptation to

Climate Change

Invasive Alien Species

Regulation2030 Climate and Energy

Framework

Roadmap to a Resource Efficient

Europe LBA

No Net LossMapping & Assessment

of Ecosystem

ServicesEnvironment Action

Programme

Circular Economy Action Plan

Cascade use guidance

Energy Union

European Innovation Partnerships (raw Materials, Agri,…)

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

EU 2030 Climate and Energy framework

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-20% GHG

Emissions

20% Renewable Energy

20% Energy

Efficiency

≤-40% 27% 30%2030 Target

2020 Target

Energy Union

ProposalsETS, ESR and

LULUCF

Recast of REDElectricity Market

Energy Efficiency Directive

Energy Union Governance

ETS: Emissions Trading SystemESR: Effort Sharing RegulationLULUCF: Land use, land use change and forestryRES: Renewable Energy Sources

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Bioenergy sustainability

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RISK BASED APPROACH

If there is SFM -> Biomass is low risk

FEEDSTOCK APPROACH

Only certain wood assorments are

elegible as sustainable biomass

» Most of renewable energy is from forest biomass

» Two different views on what ”sustainable” biomass is

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Science messages for bioenergy sustainability

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» Is bioenergy positive or negative for climate?

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Cherry picking of scientific production

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» Is bioenergy good or bad? Depends!

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Bioenergy sustainability

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<- larger coalition

» Verification and implementation of the Directive

» Understanding of forest management and wood assortments

» European context in relation to SFM and CC mitigation

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Evidence for policy makers

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Science Practice

» Practice & expertise from forestry and science-based information

need to complement each other

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

EU 2030 Climate and Energy framework

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-20% GHG

Emissions

20% Renewable Energy

20% Energy

Efficiency

≤-40% 27% 30%2030 Target

2020 Target

Energy Union

ProposalsETS, ESR and

LULUCF

Recast of REDElectricity Market

Energy Efficiency Directive

Energy Union Governance

ETS: Emissions Trading SystemESR: Effort Sharing RegulationLULUCF: Land use, land use change and forestryRES: Renewable Energy Sources

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

LULUCF ProposalCOM(2016)479

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Emission

Trading

System

Effort

Sharing

Regulation

LULUCF

Agri non-CO2

Housing

Transport

Waste

-30% -43%

2030 Target

-40% GHG Emissions

Afforested land

Deforested land

Managed cropland

Managed grassland

No-debit rule

• Forest Reference Levels (FRL): FM “… practice and intensity as documented 1990-2009”

• Debit: Harvest > Projected - Credit: Harvest < Projected

• Cap on credits to be used within LULUCF: 3,5%

• Harvested Wood Products are included

ESR credits if

no-debit not met

Limited credits

(280 Mton CO2)

To offset ESR

emissionsManaged forest land

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

LULUCF in co-decision2016/0230(COD)

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Emission

Trading

System

Effort

Sharing

Regulation

LULUCF

Agri non-CO2

Housing

Transport

Waste

-30% -43%

2030 Target

-40% GHG Emissions

Afforested land

Deforested land

Managed cropland

Managed grassland

No-debit rule

• New FRL (“not to unduly constrain the forest management intensity”) + flexibilities

• Sink trend determines emissions/removals (depends on MS accounting)

• Cap on credits to be used within LULUCF: 3,5%

• Harvested Wood Products (and dead wood) are not in the cap

ESR credits if

no-debit not met

Limited credits

(280 Mton CO2)

To offset ESR

emissionsManaged forest land

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Sector’s priorities

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» Stakeholder cooperation is crucial to have an impact

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Forests and EU Policies

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RED

Natura 2000 Sustainability of bioenergy

LULUCFEU Biodiversity

Strategy 2020

Plant health control Regulation

Green Infrastructure

Water Framework Directive

Rural Development

New CAPEU Timber Regulation

EU Forest

Strategy (?)Research &

Innovation

H2020/FP9

Public procurement

Forest Europe

ILUC

EU Bioeconomy

Strategy

EU Strategy on Adaptation to

Climate Change

Invasive Alien Species

Regulation2030 Climate and Energy

Framework

Roadmap to a Resource Efficient

Europe LBA

No Net LossMapping & Assessment

of Ecosystem

ServicesEnvironment Action

Programme

Circular Economy Action Plan

Cascade use guidance

Energy Union

European Innovation Partnerships (raw Materials, Agri,…)

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Bioeconomy & Circular Economy

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» 2012 EU Bioeconomy Strategy focused on Research & innovation

– Updated by the end of 2018

» 2015 Circular Economy Action Plan

– Implemented with 2018 Circular Economy package

Picture: European Commission

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Risks

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» Different interests outside and within the forest-based sector

» Loosing the full picture (non-renewable VS bio-based)

» Different perceptions and importance of forests across Europe

» Assimilating wood to other raw materials

– Resource efficiency should not result in limiting biomass use

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

EUSTAFOR’s asks for the update of the Bioeconomy Strategy

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Improve policy coherence

Encompass the ecosystem management dimension

Recognize the triple climate benefits forests provide

Value innovation and technology transfers

Enhance the full range of uses of biomass

Support new markets

Improve the competitiveness of forestry

Foster awareness and promote cooperation

Picture: www.tto.arel.edu.tr

EUSTAFOR - MANAGING STATE FORESTS RESPONSIBLY

Conclusions

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» Show how sustainable forestry can contribute to Sustainable Development

– “On the ground” experience

– Strategic cooperation within and outside the sector

Picture: Twitter – Carlos Moedas (EC)