Mainstreaming Sustainable Forestry in Europe

This was the third event in our Autumn Webinar Series in partnership with the GoNaturePositive! project. We were privileged to have Giulia Soldano of 'ETIFOR |Valuing Nature' introduce the field of sustainable forestry in the context of this project's efforts to define the concept of a nature-positive economy and plot an actionable roadmap for others to follow. 

If you were unable to attend the live webinar, you can find the key takeaways summarised below as well as a recording of the full webinar and the interesting Q&A session and discussion that followed. There is also a PDF of the slides from Giulia's presentation attached to this article.

Key Takeaways

1. Forestry sector crucial role

The forestry sector significantly impacts the environment, contributing to habitat loss, climate change, and water pollution. However, it also presents a unique opportunity to restore and regenerate nature through sustainable forest management and nature-based solutions. The growing demand for wood and non-wood materials, alongside certified products like FSC and PEFC, highlights the potential to align economic activities with environmental stewardship.

2. Forestry economic activities: dependences, impacts and risks

Understanding the forestry sector’s economic activities requires identifying dependencies on nature, from direct operations to upstream and downstream processes. This enables the measurement of financial risks linked to ecosystem service disruptions. Assessing impacts on biodiversity—structured around the five drivers of biodiversity loss—lays the foundation for effective mitigation strategies to reduce harm and regenerate nature.

3. Opportunities derived from the forestry sector

The forestry sector can drive a naturally positive economy by leveraging its deep connection with nature. Key actions include protecting and restoring areas of high biodiversity and carbon value, reintroducing climate-adapted native species, enhancing habitat connectivity, and boosting carbon storage in forests and soils. By embracing nature-based solutions, the sector can actively contribute to ecological regeneration while creating sustainable economic opportunities.

4. GoNP! and the forestry Pilot

The Horizon EU project GoNP! aims to define and implement "nature-positive" concepts by establishing metrics, measuring baselines, and creating roadmaps to achieve global nature regeneration goals. Among the six pilot cases, the Panguaneta pilot in Italy—a plywood industry—will be closely monitored to gather insights and demonstrate practical pathways towards a nature-positive transformation.

Webinar Recording

For further information on the GoNaturePositive! project and to follow the latest developments, visit https://www.gonaturepositive.eu/.