Forest Governance: Overcoming Trade-Offs between Land-Use Pressures, Climate and Biodiversity Protection

This book examines the opportunities and limits of negative emissions in forests, which are often presented as the new savior to fulfill climate commitments. It argues that only biodiverse and resilient forests can function as a carbon sink in the long term, and that existing European and international forest governance approaches fail to comply with these targets. It develops a bundle of policy measures to promote nature conservation and afforestation, including regulatory protection of old-growth forests, extension of the livestock-to-land-ratio, restriction of bioenergy use, and a complete conversion of agricultural and forest subsidies to "public money for public services".

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 241 pages
Publication date: 23 April 2023
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This comprehensive book delves into the realm of forest policy and governance, offering a thorough examination of the historical discourse on forests. It explores the potential for negative emissions in a sector, similar to peatlands, which appears less ambiguous compared to highly technical large-scale forms of climate geoengineering. The analysis reveals that the binding climate and biodiversity targets under international law are significantly more ambitious than commonly perceived. In light of this, the book critically assesses the role of afforestation and reforestation in climate mitigation, often presented as the new solution to fulfill the commitments of the Paris Agreement and achieve climate neutrality in the future. It becomes evident that resilient, biodiverse forests are the only ones capable of functioning as long-term carbon sinks.

The volume further highlights the shortcomings of existing European and international forest governance approaches in meeting these targets. It proposes a comprehensive set of policy measures, focusing on quantity governance systems for livestock farming, fossil fuels, and other drivers of deforestation. These systems are most effective when not directly targeting forests due to their heterogeneity but addressing the central damaging factors. Regarding the dominant regulatory and subsidy-based governance for forests, the book advocates for complementing these quantity governance systems with specific regulatory and subsidy regulations, such as the protection of old-growth forests with minimal exceptions, the expansion of the livestock-to-land-ratio in organic farming to all farming practices, and the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms to incentivize sustainable forest management.

In conclusion, this book provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of forest policy and governance, emphasizing the importance of biodiversity, resilience, and sustainable practices in achieving climate goals. It challenges prevailing narratives and offers practical solutions to address the challenges facing forests and promote a more sustainable future.

Weight: 391g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030991869
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022