Research need from Focus Group: Options and incentives for carbon sequestration through forest management: Identify and analyse incentives for carbon sequestration through active forest management and the use of timber and other forest‐based products

This need for research has been identified in FG 20 on “forest biomass”. If you want to know more about it, check the final report of the Focus Group.

Sustainable management and mobilisation of forest biomass may actively contribute to a series of important climate and environmental targets, such as climate change adaptation and mitigation, forest fire prevention and habitat restoration. Hence, one of the strongest arguments for the use of wood is its function as carbon sink when used as solid material for long-term uses, e.g. wood products for daily life, but specifically wood in construction and other mid-to-long term applications.

But all these environmental goals are achieved just if the forest is properly managed and this is not the case of many small forest properties. The lack of knowledge or expertise, or the low profitability ends in a poor or even total absence of management by the owners.

On the other hand, there exists today and strong support for policies and iniciatives contributing to carbon sequestration in all productive sectors. This current trend might be useful  to support a more active forest management, enhancing potential of climate change mitigation and tackling, in addition, other side problems related to the lack of forest management (as forest fires or environmental degradation, etc).