How can sustainable forestry help us meet our climate, restoration and biodiversity goals?
Forests cover about 30% of the earth’s land mass and host about 80% of the world’s biodiversity. They provide subsistence, employment opportunities and income to a quarter of the world’s population.
So, how can we scale up investments in forest solutions to promote sustainable development while also conserving biodiversity?
During Value Chains Week, the Global Landscapes Forum hosted a Twitter Spaces session with experts from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to discuss the potential of sustainable forestry to achieve our collective climate, landscape restoration and biodiversity goals.
Listen back to the discussion to hear from Sylvain Caurla, Senior Forest Economist, and Adrian Enache, Senior Forest Engineer at the European Investment Bank’s Bioeconomy division.
Forests are the core of biodiversity
“Forests are at the core of biodiversity,” said Caurla. “They cover about 30% of the Earth’s land and host about 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Sustainably managed forestry operations respect and protect our living environment and biodiversity that are both priceless in supporting life.”
“Halting deforestation and ecosystem degradation through sustainable management helps economic development and makes sure that the production and consumption of agricultural and forest-based products are sustainable,” Enache added.
This live session also marked the launch of the EIB’s landmark report “Forests at the heart of sustainable development – Investing in forests to meet biodiversity and climate goals,” which provides an overview of sustainability in the forestry sector. It outlines the benefits of forests to society, describes the regulatory environment, and examines the challenges encountered by companies and investors operating in this sector.
