Increasing climate-related resilience in the forest-based value chains? A policy perspective

Abstract

The forestry sector is currently facing several parallel challenges in coping with climate change-related disturbances, biodiversity loss, increasing wood use for substituting fossil materials, and other ecosystem functions like recreational use. On the one hand, the number of climate- and land use- related policy regulations is constantly increasing. On the other hand, the forest-based value chain includes different segments ranging from carbon storage and mitigation in forests to timber production and bioenergy. This article aims to draw a comprehensive picture for grasping these complexities across Europe. It analyses the policy efforts that want to increase climate-related resilience along these value chain sections. The research addresses firstly the conceptual question of “what ought to become resilient” from a policy perspective in order to secondly ask “how do the current policies relate climate-goals with resilience in the forestry sector?” Conceptually, we disentangle resilience into analytical criteria for identification in policy documents. In addition, we discuss interpretations of resilience-relevance with policy experts from Europe using two focus groups and a number of targeted interviews. The results show a divided picture. Whilst for all these experts, tackling climate-change is a priority, our results show that the notion of resilience is used differently in the related policy strategies. In particular, we reveal some deviating strategic targets across climate-related resilience and other societal demands. We subsume those under “environmental demands” and “productivity demands” along the forest-based value chain. In recommendation to policies, this entails intensified communication between the different departments dealing with resilience for Biodiversity and resilience in a Bioeconomy.