Editorial to The Monothematic Issue of Jle: Forests and Climate Change – How to Take Responsibility?

Forests cover more than a third of the countries of the European Union, providing many benefits in the field of environment, socio-economics and economics. New EU forest strategy suggests procedures for sustainable forest management. It suggests a necessary change in the approach to forests in particular with regard to the ongoing climate changes and the growing influence of drought or the spread of new pests and pathogens. This requires global responsibility in the approach to the management of supporting sustainable production and the consumption of forest products. This should serve the economical as well as the efficient use of the rural development funds to achieve the objectives in the field of nature conservation, biodiversity and adaptation to climate change in order to achieve a secure and sustainable biomass production as well as strengthen the quality of other ecosystem services. The Czech Republic is committed to fulfilling the strategic "Aichi" targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity, including the reduction of fragmentation, degradation and the conservation of forest biodiversity. This is one of the internationally recognized agreements to reduce dependence on fossil energy sources (COP21 Climate Conference in Paris) and the Czech Republic’s reporting activities within the LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry). Protection of soil and water through the river basin management plans in accordance with the Water Framework Directive and the rural development programs should be subject to effective control.