Optimizing Forest Management for Decarbonisation and Climate Resilience in Europe

Forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change by acting as carbon sinks and offsetting anthropogenic CO2 emissions. However, their ability to sequester carbon is being threatened by factors such as increased demand for wood, natural disturbances, and forest maturity. To address these challenges, the OptFor-EU and ForestNavigator Horizon Europe projects aim to support sustainable forest management practices that enhance carbon sequestration, resilience, and ecosystem services (FES).

The OptFor-EU project focuses on developing a Decision Support System (DSS) tailored to European forests. This system is co-designed with forest managers and stakeholders to provide scientifically-informed strategies for optimizing forest management practices (FMP) across various European forest types. The DSS integrates data from observations, remote sensing, and modeling to assess the current state and future projections of FES. It is tested in eight case study areas and designed to scale across Europe. Key objectives include: (i) Improving the characterization of FES, particularly carbon stocks and sinks, with a focus on old-growth forests; (ii) Enhancing models to simulate the impacts of FMP, socio-economic factors, and climate scenarios on forests and their services; (iii) Providing tools that empower stakeholders to implement sustainable FMP, fostering carbon sequestration and forest resilience.

The ForestNavigator project complements these efforts by assessing the climate mitigation potential of European forests and forest-based sectors. It uses advanced modeling tools and near-real-time monitoring to evaluate the impacts of policy pathways on forest ecosystems and socioeconomic systems. The project aligns with the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) reporting standards and provides policy makers with actionable insights to guide forest policy and bioeconomy strategies. Its scope includes: (i) Zooming into selected EU Member States for detailed assessments while considering global drivers and leakage effects; (ii) Developing a Policy Modelling Toolbox to address climate change impacts and support climate action; (iii) Enhancing the alignment between EU and national climate goals.

Together, these projects bridge robust science, strategic priorities, and stakeholder needs, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote the sustainable use of forest resources, and integrate ecological, economic, and societal values at the European scale. By leveraging innovative tools and fostering collaboration, OptFor-EU and ForestNavigator aim to transform forest management practices, ensuring that European forests continue to play a central role in achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

This research received funds from the projects ‘OPTimising FORest management decisions for a low-carbon, climate resilient future in Europe (OptFor-EU)’, under Grant agreement ID: 101060554, and ‘Navigating European Forests and forest bioeconomy sustainably to EU climate neutrality (ForestNavigator)’, under Grant agreement ID: 101056875, funded by the European Union Horizon Europe Programme.