Tag: forests

Institutional pathways for climate-resilient forestry: new scientific paper from OptFor-EU partners

OptFor-EU partners have just published a new scientific article: Institutional pathways for climate-resilient forestry: Empirical evidence from Europe. The article was published respectively on Trees, Forests and People. The full abstract is available below, together with the direct link. Full abstract Forests play a central role in climate change mitigation and adaptation by acting as […]

Rethinking Forestry: New OptFor-EU Practice Abstract on Business Model Canvas for Climate-Smart Management

In a rapidly changing climate, the role of forest managers is evolving significantly. Beyond traditional timber production, forests are increasingly valued for their carbon sequestration potential, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. To help practitioners navigate this shift, the OptFor-EU project has released its fourth Practice Abstract titled “Business Model Canvas (BMC) for Future Forest Management under […]

Navigating the Policy Landscape: OptFor-EU Launches Interactive Forest Policy Map

Understanding how local forest management fits into the broader European strategic framework can often feel like navigating a dense thicket of regulations. From the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 to the intricacies of the “Fit for 55” package, the policy environment is evolving rapidly. To provide much-needed clarity, OptFor-EU has officially launched its interactive Policy […]

Measuring What Matters: Empowering Forest Managers with Essential Forest Mitigation Indicators (EFMIs)

Forests are at the heart of Europe’s climate goals, providing vital services like carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, and regional climate regulation. However, making these services operational for forest managers and policy-makers requires clear, science-based tools. To meet this need, OptFor-EU releases new Policy Brief and Practice Abstract, both dedicated to our set of Essential Forest […]

The Economic and Social Pulse of Europe’s Forests: New Findings from OptFor-EU

Forests are often seen through a purely ecological lens—as carbon sinks or biodiversity hotspots. While these roles are critical, they only tell half the story. OptFor-EU latest publication brings the other half into focus: the socio-economic impact of how we manage our woodlands. This comprehensive study explores how different management strategies influence everything from rural […]

Navigating the Path to Climate-Resilient Forests: Insights from the OptFor-EU Governance Report

As we step into 2026, the urgency of safeguarding Europe’s forests has never been clearer. While the science behind climate-smart forestry is advancing rapidly, the practical implementation of these strategies often hits a wall of complex regulations and institutional hurdles. OptFor-EU latest publication takes a deep dive into these exact challenges, exploring the risks, barriers, and governance […]

Enhancing the resilience of Europe’s forests and their value chains with the new policy recommendations by OptFor-EU

Forests are essential for climate change mitigation and adaptation, yet they face significant challenges due to institutional gaps, policy fragmentation, and governance inefficiencies. The OptFor-EU project has addressed these issues by developing actionable policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the resilience of Europe’s forests and their value chains. The recently published Policy Brief Enhancing Climate Resilience […]

Putting people at the heart of forest management: Meet the diverse users of the OptFor-EU Decision Support System (DSS) 

The development of the OptFor-EU Decision Support System (DSS) is centred on the people who will ultimately use it.The DSS being developed by the project consortium will provide forest managers optimal solutions for sustainable Forest Management Practices (FMP) and decarbonisation of the European forests under different climate change and management scenarios. Forest management involves a wide […]

OptFor-EU develops a set of indicators to guide decarbonisation in forest management

This report from OptFor-EU presents the carefully developed set of Essential Forest Mitigation Indicators (EFMIs), designed to guide forest managers, researchers and policymakers in assessing and enhancing the potential of carbon mitigation of forests through informed management practices. The EFMIs were created through a bottom-up collaborative process that brought together scientific experts, forestry professionals and […]