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Climate change is a complex issue that affects us locally and globally, and its impact will persist for decades or even centuries. Forests are especially vulnerable, putting essential ecosystem services and biodiversity at risk. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation, and extreme weather events like droughts and storms are already noticeably changing vegetation dynamics. On the other hand, forests can contribute to mitigating climate change by storing carbon from the atmosphere.

Main messages

Forests sequester large amounts of carbon, significantly contributing to climate regulation.

Forests are large carbon pools. Deforestation and degradation reduces these pools, and releases carbon into the atmosphere.

Harvested wood products, sustainable use of wood, and cascading of wood-based products, contributes to increasing carbon pools.

  • LULUCF regulation The LULUCF regulation sets out the monitoring process for the EU’s carbon footprint, as well as setting a net removal target of 310 million tonnes CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e) by 2030 for the EU’s Land use, Land-use change and forestry sector.

  • The European Green Deal is a package of policy initiatives that seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 55% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

  • European Climate Law writes into law the goal set out in the European Green Deal for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. It also establishes a system to monitor progress and further policy actions will be taken if necessary.

  • EU strategy on adaptation to climate change sets objectives on how the EU can adapt in a smarter, swifter, and systemic way to the impacts of climate change.

  • EU forest strategy contributes to achieving the EU’s biodiversity objectives as well as its greenhouse gas emission reduction target of at least 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.