In a joint statement, the twelve heads of German-speaking research institutes, including the Thünen Institute of Wood Research, published their assessment of current climate protection targets for the forestry sector. Scientists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland agree that the clear reduction of man-made greenhouse gas emissions must be the top priority. Climate protection is a task for society as a whole, to which forests can contribute. However, this is only possible if they are able to cope with climate change. According to the joint statement, such a contribution can usually only be achieved through active measures such as reforestation, stabilisation of existing forests and sustainable use of wood. At the same time, the scientists agree that incentive systems such as CO2 certificates for promoting forestry in particular need to be very precisely defined and that current climate protection targets for the LULUCF sector (land use, land use change and forestry) need to be reviewed.
The researchers' central theses are as follows:
- Active, sustainable management and forest conversion ensure long-term carbon sequestration.
- The use of wood stores carbon and replaces climate-damaging materials.
- Building up forest carbon stocks by refraining from management can work temporarily to a limited extent, but in times of climate change it often involves a very high risk.
- Only vital, climate-resilient forests can fulfil their functions and thus also their contribution to climate protection in the future.
- The climate protection targets for the land and forestry sector (LULUCF) must be reviewed and adjusted to realistic values.
The conclusions were preceded by a conference in Göttingen this year on "Carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems and wood products".
