Background

  

Forests are a major natural resource 

Forests cover 159 million hectares or 37% of Europe's land area (Eurostat 2013). As a major biological resource they have multiple ecological, economic and social functions. Besides preserving diverse landscapes, ecosystems, natural cycles and biological diversity, they provide a multitude of forest products - and are the backbone for employment and growth in forestry and the numerous industries which use wood as the primary raw material.

The ‘forest-based sector’ includes all uses of wood from raw timber up to high value end products, such as furniture, construction, paper, renewable energy or bio-based chemical products. Europe’s forest-based industries have 4-5 million employees, around 600,000 enterprises and a turnover of 550 billion Euro, which represents around 10-15 % of total manufacturing.

An increasing demand for wood

The sector’s forecasts for the coming decades predict a substantial increase in the demand for wood: ‘solid’ uses will grow steadily, while new chemical uses of wood will emerge and start to gain momentum. The highest growth rate is expected in bioenergy - wood energy plays a critical role in Europe’s future renewable energy supply and the achievement of climate protection objectives.

Current trends in increasing demand are expected to lead to a scarcity of wood, stronger competition and structural shifts in the forest sector.

How can we mobilise more wood?

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