Lessons learned on sustainability of forest bioeconomy

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1 UEF JOENSUU KUOPIO SAVONLINNA Lessons learned on sustainability of forest bioeconomy Opportunities and challenges of sustainable forest bioeconomy Jyrki Kangas, Professor of Forest Bioeconomy, FORBIO

2 Main conclusions The concept of sustainability has evolved, is evolving, and will still evolve There are sustainability dimensions with various criteria, indicators, thresholds for sustainability assessments also weightings of them are needed Weights (importance) depend on the viewpoint / opinions / interests, There is no universally agreed operative and measurable definition on sustainable forest bioeconomy Fortunately, in any case, sustainability of forest bioeconomy (or of anything) may be improved by the aid of R&D&I Next, these are approached by applying the case of Finnish forest bioeconomy

3 Forests in the core of the growth of Finnish bioeconomy Bioeconomy in Finland is not peanuts: total output > EUR 64 billion, share from exports about 26 %, > employed persons Aims of Finland s National Bioeconomy Strategy, in 2025: total output EUR 100 billion, new employed persons New boost for the weakened economic development in Finland More than 50 % of Finnish bioeconomy is based on forests Also the growth of bioeconomy in Finland relies on the growing and diversifying use of wood and forests

4 Forest-and-wood-based bioeconomy in Finland grows rapidly right now Investments on sawmilling and wood-working industries, pulp, biofuels A new huge bioproduct mill by Metsä Group (Äänekoski) Forest industry s biggest investment ever in Finland An investment plan of a similar (or even a bit bigger) size by Finnpulp Oy (Kuopio); plans for bioproduct factories in Kemijärvi, Paltamo, Kemi, Haapajärvi; plans for many smaller ones (especially biofuels) More wood in construction, wood energy, plenty of new bioproducts; even 20 mill m3/a or more, which means increasing harvests (m3, ha)

5 Bioeconomy in Finland, and its growth, cannot be sustainable without forestry being sustainable Growth is sought for also from nature tourism and non-wood forest products At the same time, also biodiversity and other ecosystem services must be maintained This all means increasing demand on multiple uses and services of forests Enhancing the acceptability of forestry and commensuration of different uses/services and objectives are even more important in the future Key practical question: can we significantly increase harvests sustainably? Esityksen nimi / Tekijä

6 Annual harvests more by >20 mill.m3? Sustainably?

7 What is sustainability? "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Brundtland Report for the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) UN: Consisting of three pillars, sustainable development seeks to achieve, in a balanced manner, economic development, social development and environmental protection The Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (1993): The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems In addition, recently e.g. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland: climate change mitigation and adaptation are among the key elements of sustainable use and management of forests

8 So what, in the forests, in practice? Numerous attempts to operationalize the sustainability of forestry Choice of criteria and indicators for economic, social and ecological (and cultural, spiritual, climatic, ) dimensions of sustainability? Regional scale, time horizon, resilience? Weighting of dimensions, criteria, indicators? It seems that defining sustainability is not only fuzzy but it includes subjective opinions, attitudes, interests, tactics, politics, speculation, marketing, manipulation?,

9 There are alternative truths on the sustainability of forestry On grounds of the statistics: for sure, we can increase cuttings sustainably from the viewpoint of wood production However, sustainability can be defined in various ways; different interests => different weighting of dimensions, criteria, indicators E.g., nature conservation organisations argue that increasing harvests in Finland would not be sustainable (ecologically) Nature tourism: a standing (dead) tree might be the most valuable one Much research and plenty of gallups regarding attitudes towards and opinions on sustainable forest management Different results (attitudes, opinions) and different interpretations

10 The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation:

11 Is most sustainable sustainable enough?

12 Some opinions on the maximum sustainable annual harvest level in Finland Finnish Forest Industries (Tomi Salo, Studia Generali 2016): 85 million cubic meters WWF Finland (Panu Kunttu, Studia Generalia 2016): Max 70 million cubic meters (some other WWF-references: max 65 million cubic meters) Greenpeace Finland (Webpages now): The situation is unsustainable. The government s aim is to increase harvests heavily from the current 65 million cubic meters to 80 million cubic meter until 2020 and still more after it. Our forest nature cannot stand this. Luke: million cubic meters, >86 million cubic meters

13 Assessing sustainability is of subjective nature To say nothing about assessing responsibility, or acceptability

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15 There is no, and will not be, such universal operational and measurable truth on sustainable forest management that could be accepted by all Meaning of sustainability has been, is, and will be evolving It would be useless to wait a time with no disputes regarding the sustainability, responsibility and acceptability of forestry Nevertheless, we can develop forest bioeconomy to become more sustainable 15

16 Smart & more sustainable forest bioeconomy: more something good without worsening something else Simultaneously more wood and more other commodities/services = pushing the production possibities boundary This is in the core of forest bioeconomy research; more both: income and flying squirrels timber and health services biodiversity and tourists harvests and climate benefits etc. Real sustainable development

17 Looking forward to still more sustainable future

18 Thanks for your attention!