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Climate change / energyClimate change is one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet. In order to bring climate change to a halt, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced significantly. Forests are – besides the oceans – the biggest CO2 sinks of the world. Trees absorb and store CO2 as they grow. CO2 is captured in the wood until it decays or is used as an enery source. A perfect biological cycle with climate protection function. Sustainable forest management and the use of wood and wood based products increase thus the storage function.
There are a lot of different possibilities for using the innovative raw material wood. It is multifunctional, sustainable and practical. It is more fire-resistant and has higher heat insulation than e.g. steel. It is a warm material that people like to use in their homes. Think about products in your daily use! With what do you work in the kitchen? Is your furniture made of plastic? What do your write on? Do you like piano music? It is easy to contribute actively to combating climate change – just use wood instead of other non-renewable materials!
Using wood from sustainable managed forests is, the most sustainable solution to decrease the CO2 emissions. The positive side-effect of sustainable forest management is the guaranteed conservation of the forest ecosystem. European Family Forest Owners with their sustainable forest management will diligently continue with all their efforts to contribute to reaching the Kyoto target. They always think about the following generations!
And notice: Europe’s forests are expanding – unlike most forest regions in the world – at an annual net area rate of 510.000 hectares!
The CEPF working group on "Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change” has developed a strategy for climate change issues. With its climate change strategy, CEPF has gathered the opinions of family forest owners across Europe.
CEPF climate change strategi (pdf)
Future action on climate change policy – stakeholder consultation (pdf)
European Climate Change programme
Climate Change
Forest-Related Sinks
Wood – the energy source of the future! Sustainable forest management provides society with an unique renewable resource – Wood. Wood and products manufactured from it have the capacity to store CO2 and thus to contribute significantly to combating climate change. It is therefore essential that family forest owners are motivated to invest in sustainable forest management to boost the use of the renewable resource wood. By substituting non-renewable materials with wood and wood-based materials the carbon cycle (including sink and storage effect) will increase and thus positively combat climate change.
Energy consumption is the fastest-growing component of the ecological footprint index, increasing by nearly 700% between 1961 and 2001, this makes it much more important to substitute especially non-renewable energy with renewable energy as soon as possible.
And please notice that firing of wood is neutral in comparison to firing coal, gas or oil, which releases new CO2 to our atmosphere!
Recommendations for actions at Member State levelActivity 1
Oil, coal and gas are still so cheap that in most European countries and in most practical cases it is hardly yet profitable to collect the unused resources of forest energy. Shortage of oil and gas, climate policy and development of knowledge and technique for forest energy will slowly change the situation. We see the development of the demand (=consuming plants) for forest energy as the most efficient way to achieve results also in the supply chain from the forest.
Activity 2
Enhancing local entrepreneurship for small-scale investment in the forest energy logistic chain. The average size of family forest holdings in Europe is 13 ha. These family forest owners need to be motivated to invest in local business to enhance the use of forest energy. Local action needs to integrate awareness raising on the positive contribution of "Energy and electricity from forest" to rural and wider societal sustainable development.
Activity 3
There is a need to develop pilot projects to show how forest operation residues and other forest resources can be more efficiently taken into use for energy purposes. Pilot projects should preferably cover different situations where forest industry, municipalities and small-scale local supply initiatives can be demonstrated. Perform national research programmes to search for new potential of economically reasonable kinds of bio fuel.
Recommendations for actions at EU25 LevelActivity 1
Directive for heat production with biomass should promote installations of distribution systems and boiler plants in industry, municipalities and small local plants. All categories shall be equally promoted provided they have acceptable efficiency and environmental performance. Small local modern plants are essential to spread know-how and mobilize activity in rural areas with biomass resources.
Activity 2
Incentives for development, production and use of bio-fuels for transport purposes. Information campaign towards forest owners and rural communities that would increase the use of biomass. It is important to invest in capacity building and understanding of economically profitable and environmentally sound burning.
Activity 3
Establish a EU wide data bank on best practices of forest energy use from local to regional level. In that respect it is essential to have EU norms (e.g. for wood chips, pellets etc.) in place that facilitate the trade of forest energy for small-scale forest owners.
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International Year of Biodiversity launched
The way forward for forestry after COP15 
Is a European forest communication strategy needed?