Media coverage

Latest highlights

Our host for the 2023 Annual Conference, Saša Orlović from the Institute for Lowland Forestry and Environment and our Deputy Director Robert Mavsar were interview during the 2023 International Day of Forest in Novi Sad, Serbia. (in Serbian)

Our experts talk about their work in areas such as:

Forest fires: wildfires, firefighting, effects of climate change, land management and forest resilience. 

 

EFI in the news

 

Mongabay.com News, October 2024Drought & climate change force Ethiopia pastoralists to go job huntingAccording to Abrham Belay Mekonnen, a researcher at EFI, nature-based solutions such as agroecology and afforestation are essential for assisting pastoralists in Ethiopia and beyond to adapt to current droughts, erratic rainfall and land degradation.
Forstpraxis.de, September 2024Waldbrände im Harz: Wie sich Wald und Waldbrandmanagement weiterentwickeln"We see a general spirit of optimism in the fire service. The problem of forest fires and the challenges, the lack of equipment and training, have been recognized and countermeasures are being taken," explains Alexander Held.
Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, September 2024Warum sich internationale Experten im Königsforst bei Köln treffenReport of the forest excursion at the Steinhaus forestry house in Bergisch Gladbach as part of the annual meeting of the European Forest Institute.
Yahoo news, September 2024Drinking wastewater, building an island from scratch and creating an urban forest: 3 bold ways cities are already adapting to climate changeIn Milan, for example, the city is working to plant trees throughout the city, rather than just focusing on the wealthiest areas. "I think it stands out as a successful role model that other cities can learn from," told Matilda van den Bosch.
MTV uutiset, September 2024Suosituissa lomakohteissa roihuaa – voiko matkustaja saada korvausta, kun luonnonkatastrofi pilaa loman?Senior expert Lindon Pronto comments that investing to response capacity will not be the solution to reducing wildfires. (1.57)
ENDS EUROPE, September 2024Interview: What the future holds for Europe’s forestsRobert Mavsar, director of the European Forest Institute, talks to ENDS Europe about adapting to climate change, addressing ‘knowledge gaps’ and the role of forests in the green transition.
International Association of Wildland Fire, September 20247th International Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference RecapAlexander Held enlightened delegates about unexploded explosive ordinances, or UXOs – a problem that dates to the First World War. With conflicts in more areas globally, more fire-prone regions are subject to UXOs, creating danger for firefighters.
DW, June, 2024Wildfires: Is Europe doing enough to prevent them?The EU needs to push for more land-based fire prevention and nature-based solutions, says Alexander Held.
Euractiv, June 2024Forest risk management needs better data monitoring, say experts“Every single disturbance factor has increased in the last decade, so we are really concerned that also, with climate change and the increased extreme events, we will have to face more of these disturbances in the future,” Marcus Linder says.
Earthday_IT May 2024Verde urbano e salute. Un legame profondoResearcher Matilda Van Den Bosch analyzes the relationship between green areas and well-being
The Conversation - Europe, March, 2024How we’re breathing new life into French forests through green corridorsMagda Bou Dagher Kharrat, coordinator of the SUPERB project, comments how customized approaches are necessary to address restoration.  
Evangelisch.de, Feb. 2024Bonn zur "Europäischen Waldhauptstadt" gekürtBonn named the 2024 European Forest City 
FoodNavigator Europe, Feb. 2024More cocoa talks in Amsterdam as Chocoa raises the bar for chocolate sustainabilityPicking up the baton from the World Cocoa Foundation Meeting, the Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, organised by Chocoa, moved into the Beurs van Berlage for a further two days of discussion and debate on key policy issues affecting the global chocolate industry. Comments by EFI's Project Manager - Sustainable Cocoa, Adeline Dontenville.
Euronews.green, November 2023Finland, Ireland, France: Which European countries have the most and least forests?Forests have been growing in size in the EU over recent decades, but why are there such large discrepancies across the continent? Comments by Principal Natural Scientist, Marcus Lindner 
NOVISAD.com, September 2023Novom Sadu zvanično uručeno priznanje „Evropski grad šuma 2023“The City of Novi Sad was awarded the title of European Forest City 2023 during the 2023 Annual Conference Week in Novi Sad, Serbia. 
EURACTIV.com, August 2023What can we learn from this summer of wildfires?Senior Expert Lindon Pronto is talking about the wildfires that have devastated regions across southern Europe in EURACTIV’s Beyond the Byline podcast.
Politico EU, August 2023How to live on a Continent on fireThe EU urgently needs to step up prevention efforts like forest management, experts warn. Inazio Martinez de Arano providing expert comment. 
Phoenix, July 2023Forest fire expert: Fires are becoming more and more uncontrollableAccording to the forest fire expert of the European Forest Institute (EFI), Alexander Held, forest fires are more frequent than in the past, as is currently the case in Greece. (includes video)
Focus online, July 2023.Feuerexperte Lindon Pronto im Interview. Gegen die Dürre-Brände braucht Deutschland endlich eine StrategieLindon Pronto from the European Forest Institute explains the diverse effects of drought on the risk of fire, which regions are particularly at risk and how we can protect our forests more effectively.  (in German)
FT Magazine, July 2023Extreme wildfires are here to stay. Can human beings really fight them?A recap by journalist Henry Mance who spent time in Poland on the Association of Independent Firefighting Experts (SNEP) forest camp. EFI was one of the coorganisers.
Proplanta.de, May 2023Mehr Waldbrände erwartet: Experten suchen nach Gegenstrategien"Not every fire is a disaster. We need a better mutual understanding between all stakeholders in the forest: foresters, forest owners, tourism professionals and firefighters," says Alexander Held from the European Forest Institute in Bonn. (in German)
Eldiario.es, April 2023El nuevo paradigma de los incendios: “Los bomberos o gobiernos no te van a salvar, cada uno debe protegerse”"We must understand and address the structural causes of extreme fires, in order to move towards long-term resilience, adapting the territory and society as a whole, to this new context of risk," says Inazio Martínez, from the European Forest Institute. (in Spanish)
BR24, March 2023Vier von fünf Bäumen sind krankAlexander Held says in an interview that it is now important to change the structure of support for forestry. (in German)
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, February 2023Ein Drittel der globalen CO2-Emissionen entsteht beim Bauen. Doch Häuser aus Holz können das ändern und sogar riesige CO2-Speicher werden"We save the forests, and the forests save us" says Marc Palahí of the European Forest Institute (in German)
El Nacional.cat, February 2023El catalán que asesora al rey de InglaterraEFI director,  leading Catalan expert on climate change participates in a reception of King Charles at Buckingham Palace (in Catalan)
   
Maaseudun tulevaisuus, December 2022Euroopan komissio menee ideologia edellä puuhunAccording to Brussels representative Harald Mauser, during this Commission, the scientific results that fit the already chosen line are selected. 
Hart aber fair, August 2022Die Jahrhundert-Dürre: Erleben wir gerade unsere Zukunft?The drought of the century: Are we experiencing our future right now? tv interview of Alex Held (00:19:55 onwards, in German)
SPIEGEL, August, 2022112 anrufen und auf Regen hoffen ist keine Strategie"Calling 112 and hoping for rain is not a strategy" Forest fire expert Alexander Held explains why fast action is more important than new firefighting helicopters. (in German)
Die Welt, July 2022Warum 2022 ein „herausragendes“ Feuerjahr istAlexander Held explains why in his view, year 2022 will be "outstanding year" of fire. (in German) 
La Vanguardia, June 2022Decàleg contra els grans incendisMarc Palahí points out why scientific knowledge is required when dealing with forest fires (in Spanish) 
Deutschlandfunk, June, 2022Waldbrandbekämpfung: Gegenfeuer und andere InnovationenRadio interview of Alex Held on forest firefighting: counterfires and other innovations (in German)
Vogue Brazil, June 2022A moda pode ter um impacto positivo no planeta?

Brands are betting on new ways to reverse the negative impact of the fashion industry, such as regenerative agriculture, which promises to revolutionize the place of fashion in the future, Marc Palahí (CBA) (in Portuguese)

 

National Geographic, April 20224 solutions for trees and forests threatened by a hotter worldAs climate change accelerates, it’s also important to consider planting more drought-resistant species imported from elsewhere, says Marcus Lindner. “It’s possible to shift to more close-to-nature silviculture but still bring in more drought-tolerant species.”
Aldia.cat, March 2022Marc Palahí (EFI) destaca la gestió forestal sostenible de la metròpolis de BarcelonaMarc Palahí highlights the sustainable forest management of the metropolis of Barcelona
UPM.com, March 2022How forests can adapt to climate change and remain long-term carbon sinks“Climate change is going to have both positive and negative effects on forests,” says Marcus Lindner. 
La Prensa Latina, March 2022Indigenous leaders call for protection for 80 pct. of Amazon by 2025“Coica and the indigenous communities must play a central role in this Alliance and in this ecological transition. We believe the circular bioeconomy where life, and not consumption, is becoming the raison d’etre and the main engine of change,” Marc Palahí said.
Alarabiya News,
February 2022		Protecting Lebanon’s woodland: Regeneration of forests underway“Starting 2008, reforestation in Lebanon was completely overhauled [from] just digging a hole, putting a tree inside and taking some pictures,” says Madga Bou Dagher.
Primera Edición, February 2022La ONU alerta por el aumento de la intensidad y frecuencia de los incendiosThe number of extreme fires is becoming more frequent, due to extreme weather conditions and climate change, says Alexander Held.  (in Spanish)
Karjalainen, August 2021Euroopan metsäinstituutti saa uuden toimipaikan Roomaan EFI signs a Host Country Agreement with Italy to establish a new EFI office in Rome. (Interview of Director Palahí in Finnish)
Economist, August 2021How are wildfires fought?Article dives into questions about how wildfires are fought. And why, and when, they shouldn’t be. EFI comments by senior expert, Alexander Held.
Helsingin Sanomat, August 2021Etelä-Euroopan metsää tuhoutuu pitkään jatkuneen kuumuuden takiaThe forests of southern Europe are being destroyed by the prolonged heat – “Extinguishing fires in these conditions is like a war that cannot be won,” says the senior expert Alexander Held.
LaVanguardia, May 2021El futuro es de madera: por qué la usaremos para coches, casas, ropa y mucho más"If the 19th century was about steel and the 20th about concrete, the 21st will be about wood," says Marc Palahí, Director of the European Forest Institute.
Maaseudun tulevaisuus, April 2021"EU:n metsäpäätöksenteko nojaa väärään tietoon" Deforestation in Europe has not increased as much as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) assumes (in Finnish)
Nature, April 2021Concerns about reported harvests in European forestsIs forest harvesting increasing in Europe? Yes, but not as much as reported last July in a controversial study published in Nature. This was a response to the original article.
Metsälehti, April 2021EFI:n Palahí: EU:n vihreä ohjelma ei riitä metsäalalleDirector of EFI reflects the need for a strategic approach to and subsequent action on European forests (in Finnish)
Financial Times, Feb 2021Forests into Fashion: How the fashion industry is turning to forests for the fibres of the futureForests into Fashion: How the fashion industry is turning to forests for the fibres of the future. EFI Director Marc Palahí explaining how the fashion industry is turning to forests for the fibres of the future in this Financial Times video. 
Helsingin Yliopisto, Feb 2021Työ­elä­mä­pro­fes­so­ri Lau­ri He­te­mä­ki ha­kee ta­sa­pai­noa luon­non­va­ro­jen eri käyt­tö­muo­to­jen vä­lil­läInterview of Assistant Director Lauri Hetemäki as he starts his new position of Professor of Practice in Foresight (Sustainable Use of Natural Resources) at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry , University of Helsinki. (in Finnish)
El Pais, June 2020De pandemias e indencios forestalesEFI Director Marc Palahi's opinion piece on pandemics, forest fires and the bioeconomy
The Telegraph, Jan 2020How much worse will the Australia's bushfire crises get?EFI's senior expert Alexander Held interviewed about the Australian forest fires
TRT World, August 2019Wooden Skyscrapers: Goodbye to glass and steel?EFI's Assistant Director Lauri Hetemäki discussing the climate benefits of wood construction on TRT World.
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Tagesanzeiger
WDR online
WDR Mittagsmagazin
MDR Wissen		Lasst und Milliarden Bäume pflanzen
Ist der Wald unsere Rettung?
Klimawandel: Waldgeneration in NRW soll fit gemacht warden
Studie: Aufforstung gegen Klimawandel
Effektivste Methode zur Klimarettung: Bäume pflanzen		In July 2019, EFI's Principal Natural Scientist Marcus Lindner was asked to comment on an article in Science Magazine. about the potential of large-scale forest restoration for climate change mitigation. The comments were used by various media.
Read more here (in English)
SWR Aktuell, Jul 2019Interview with Alexander Held about the fire in LuebtheenInterview starts at 16:42 min, in German
Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Jul 201990 Prozent aller Brände sind menschlichen UrsprungsEFI's senior expert Alexander Held interviewed by Stephan Karkowsky about the causes of forest fires
El Pais, Jun 2019La ecología es la economíaEFI Director Marc Palahi and Xavier Marcet talk about the opportunities offered by the bioeconomy
Forestopic, Apr 2019Après la déforestation, quand la forêt repousse par régénération naturelle ou par plantationEFI's Planted Forests Facility is featured in this article about forest regeneration
Macedonian MRT morning talk show, Mar 201912 years of scientific work in researchEFI researcher Nataša Lovrić talked about her lecture in the presentation series of the alumni to the academic community of University "St. Cyril and Methodius" in Skopje for its 70 years celebration.
El Pais, Mar 2019Bosques y educación, catalizadores para transformar nuestro mundoEFI Director Marc Palahi explains how forests and education can build a sustainable future.
Deutsche Welle, Mar 2019Deforestación y degradación, las mayores amenazas de los bosques en América LatinaDeforestation and degradation in Latin America, featuring discussion of planted forests.
The Mainichi, Feb 2019木材で持続可能な都市開発　化石資源の使用抑える「バイオシティー」
Forests for sustainable urban development: 'Biocity' as the solution to minimise the use of fossil fuel based resources		EFI Director Marc Palahi features in Japan's Mainichi newspaper, talking about the biocity concept as a future solution for our urbanised world.
Euronews, Nov 2018How wine corks are made - and why scientists are raising the alarmEFI's Lookout Station project provided support to Euronews, for a 360-degree video story about cork
Il Bioeconomista, Oct 2018The updated EU Bioeconomy StrategyEFI Director Marc Palahi is interviewed about new developments in the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy
MTV Macedonia, Oct 2018Scientific Spectrum (Научен спектар)EFI researcher Nataša Lovrić is interviewed about her work by Macedonian National Television
Euronews, Jul 2018How do firefighters go about tackling a wildfire?Interview with EFI Senior Expert Alex Held and Marc Castellnou from our network
BBC News, Jul 2018Wildfires around the worldEFI Senior Expert Alex Held discusses better forest risk management and evacuation plans
The Telegraph, UK, Jul 2018Europe 'not doing its homework' on basic wildfire preventionEFI Senior Expert Alex Held explains more in this background article on forest fires.
Al Jazeera, Apr 2018The Disappearing OasisEFI's Lookout Station project provided support to Al Jazeera's Contrast VR, for a 360-degree video story focusing on climate change in the Sahara.
The Guardian US, Apr 2018When nature says 'Enough!': the river that appeared overnight in ArgentinaEFI's Lookout Station project provided support to The Guardian for a story that focuses on climate change and forestry, using new storytelling techniques and formats. 
BBC Radio 4, Costing the Earth, Mar 2018SuperwoodPresenter Tom Heap visits Finland and the Bioeconomy Investment Summit, organised by EFI in December 2017. 
Deutsche Welle, Feb 2018Wood to build human body parts — and other bio-innovationsFeaturing speakers from EFI's Bioeconomy Investment Summit and associated media workshop, as well as EFI Director Marc Palahí, the article focuses on how bio-based products are essential for a sustainable society.
Deutsche Welle, Jan 2018Wood: renewable construction material of the future?Featuring comments from EFI Director Marc Palahi, the article asks Could wood be a key sustainable resource of our future?
Renewable Matter, #19, Dec-Jan 2018 A ForestEFI Director Marc Palahi is interviewed about the role forests will play in the future economy.
Euronews, Nov 2017Deadly wildfires: a devastating year for PortugalEFI's Lookout Station project provided support to Euronews, for a 360-degree video story that focuses on wildfires.