International expert workshop on forestry for the future: Uniting stakeholders for climate action and sustainable growth

This workshop, being organised by the OECD in partnership with the government of Latvia and the Latvian State Forest Research Institute (Silava), will bring together a unique combination of perspectives from various experts on forestry, including policy makers, forest-related organisations, producer associations, international organisations and the academia. The event will include a keynote speech, technical presentations, panel discussions and a first-hand experience with a visit to Latvia’s hemiboreal forest.

Forestry plays a vital role for achieving climate and sustainable development goals. Globally, forests store approximately 2400 billion tons of CO2, which is more than 50 times the amount of CO2 emitted in 2023. They are also home to the majority of the Earth’s species and are essential for a variety of ecosystem services. At the same time, sustainable forest management provides renewable materials for climate-friendly development. Ensuring food security and adequate housing are important considerations, as croplands, pasturelands and human settlements often encroach upon forest areas.

These factors create trade-offs between environmental and socioeconomic goals that are often poorly understood and difficult to eliminate, but possible to mitigate or circumvent. Such trade-offs have not been sufficiently highlighted in public discourse, preventing policy makers from making informed decisions and hampering co-ordinated policy action. Bringing together different perspectives into a comprehensive dialogue is timely. It can help identify existing barriers and possibilities and synthesise best practices from the accumulated international policy experience. Such a dialogue may pave the way for the design of innovative forest policies, which ensure forest integrity without compromising economic growth.

For more information, please contact Elisa Lanzi and Sora Choi of the OECD Environment Directorate.