An Agenda for a greener, stronger European Union

EU leaders face decisions of historical proportions when framing the next Agenda. The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) supports a continued strong focus on the green transition. But it is also important that climate and environmental ambitions are combined with greater focus on business opportunities. The next Agenda should truly create conditions for a competitive, climate-neutral and circular bioeconomy, as this would represent a unique opportunity for our common future. So says Viveka Beckeman ♦️ , SFIF Director General.

This year’s EU elections and the next Agenda will determine how the Union co-operates going forward. This will affect all EU member states, citizens and businesses – and to a greater extent than many realise, Growing and actively managed forests capture and sequester carbon. Forests are hugely important strategic resources for the Union.

Sweden’s forest industry plays a key role in the green transition, and we want to do more. For 2040, SFIF have defined goals for increased climate benefits, circularity and biodiversity. This includes an increase in SFIF’s contribution to European self-sufficiency in wood-based products and renewable energy, a 30 per cent increase in Sweden’s forest-based sector’s role in global climate improvement and that all wood-based products from Swedish forests are to be fossil-free and, where possible, recyclable.

We shape the future together. It is not shaped by individual industries, or individual countries. The EU is a team effort in which member states have different skills, resources and advantages. A survey commissioned by SFIF suggests that 64 per cent of Europeans support using forests to produce renewable products – an enlightened position, for several reasons. Given the right conditions, sustainably sourced and renewable wood products can increasingly replace fossil products and store carbon throughout their lifetime. However, to take full advantage of this, regulatory predictability, a sustainable and stable supply of raw materials and an attractive innovation climate are needed.

Concerning the next EU Agenda, SFIF has identified four political areas of priority:

A resilient and competitive EU

Geopolitical uncertainty and fierce international competition make it more important than ever that the EU has the capacity to stand strong by securing its supply of resources and maintaining a competitive business climate. The forest industries already contribute to a strong Europe with forest raw materials and forest-based products. But we want to do more. A supportive policy framework is needed and policies should:

• Promote the European circular bioeconomy and make the EU an attractive destination for biobased investments
• Reflect the essential role of wood as a strategic European resource and raw material
• Promote biomaterials as a way to reduce the EU’s dependency on fossil raw materials in material and energy sectors

A climate-neutral EU

The EU is to be climate neutral by 2050. The climate benefit from the forest industries is already substantial – but it could be so much greater, for example with solutions such as carbon capture and removal and ambitious investment in increased forest growth. Policies should:

• Reflect the full climate benefit of sustainably managed forests and wood-based products by recognising carbon sink and substitution effects as equally important
• Acknowledge the key contribution of renewable materials by setting a substitution goal for materials
• Stimulate voluntary investment in BECCS and BECCU

A circular, biobased EU economy

Renewable resources clearly have a fundamental function in a circular society, but to achieve greater circularity, products need to be designed right to start with. Improving reuse and recycling and improved waste management are vital. Policies should:

• Promote renewability, i.e., biobased content, in parallel with recycled content in product-related legislation
• Acknowledge that renewable single use products (with high collection and recycling rates) and reuse are complementary
• Ensure that more waste and industrial streams can be used as secondary raw materials

Sustainably managed EU forests

European forests vary greatly in terms of type, ownership and soil conditions. Healthy, productive forests are necessary for sustainable development. Biodiversity is crucial for forests’ resilience in a changing, more extreme climate. Policies should:

• Acknowledge forests’ multifunctional role in meeting societal, economic, and environmental objectives
• Recognise that there are no one-size-fits-all forestry policy measures; rather, a fair and proportionate balance acknowledging synergies and trade-offs over time is needed
• Consider forest owners of all sizes as key stakeholders in the green transition

Using forests’ full potential strengthens EU resilience and global competitiveness. Biobased production creates green prosperity and supports the Union’s ambitious climate and environmental goals. As the EU chooses its way forward, it is high time to make use of the full potential of the forest, paving the way towards a sustainable and prosperous future.

Viveka Beckeman, Director General, Swedish Forest Industries Federation