The ThinkForest seminar “Climate policy targets: how can European forests contribute” brought together policymakers, scientists and stakeholders at the COP21 Climate Generations area in Paris on 1 December. Discussions focused on three major issues:
- expanding the mitigation potential of forests
- the bioeconomy and the possibilities it offers for substitution of fossil-fuel based products
- economic incentives
The seminar also saw the launch of the EFI science-policy study on the European forest sector and climate policy targets.
Chair: Göran Persson, ThinkForest President
Moderator: James Astill, The Economist
Our speakers included:
Lucas Bretschger, Professor, President Elect of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, CER-ETH Center of Economic Research at ETH Zürich
Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Professor, Wageningen University, Alterra
Henrik Ehrnrooth, Chair of the Board, Pöyry PLC
Hannah Mowat, Forest and Climate Campaigner, FERN
Paul Brannen, MEP, European Parliament
Per-Olof Wedin, President, EUSTAFOR, CEO, Sveaskog, Sweden
Peter Wehrheim, Head of Unit, Climate Finance and Deforestation, DG Climate Action, European Commission
Silvia Melegari, Secretary General, European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry
May Anne Then, IFSA President
Presentations
Effective policies against climate change, Lucas Bretschger
A new role for the EU forest sector in the climate targets beyond 2020, Gert-Jan Nabuurs
European forest-based sector's role in low carbon economy, Henrik Ehrnrooth
The event was presented under the High Patronage of Mr. Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, France.
