Policy Roundtable on: Using sustainably-sourced renewable materials

During a policy roundtable organized by the European Parliament Intergroup on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’, high-level speakers discussed sustainably-sourced renewable materials. The session built scientific understanding and discussed options and solutions that work for all dimensions of forests’ multifunctional role.

After a short introduction by Member of the European Parliament Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, a panel discussion was held. Panelists included Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General for the European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment (DG ENV); Ewald Rametsteiner, Deputy Director of the FAO Forestry Division, Alberto Arroyo Schnell, Head of Policy and Programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Eija Heitavuo, Vice President for Public Affairs of Tetra Pak.. The session was moderated by Lars Lindblad.

During the panel discussion, Patrick Child pointed out that the biggest challenge to achieve a circular bioeconomy, is finding the right balance between the demands we put on our agriculture, forests and land usage. A good balance is needed to ensure healthy ecosystems that can function as carbon sinks and simultaneously provide raw materials. He stated that the European Commission seeks to strike a right balance between circularity and sustainability, emphasizing that for both, innovation is essential.

FAO’s Ewald Rametsteiner agreed that finding the right balance is indeed a major challenge. He noted that positive signals are being received from policymakers and the finance community, and that this provides hope that change can be made. When asked how a growing world population, with an increased need for raw materials, can be reconciled with the growing demand for forest materials and ecosystem services, Rametsteiner replied that he sees three pathways: Firstly, by protecting and conserving forests. Secondly, by restoring and improving proactive landscapes through the restoration of deforested and degraded land. Thirdly, by enhancing the sustainable production of renewable resources for raw materials energy. “This is vital in our transition away from fossil products,” he pointed out.

The panel concluded with interventions from Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Elsi Katainen and Petri Sarvamaa. MEP Katainen informed the audience that the European Commission will soon publish a communication on carbon farming and another on carbon removal certification. She noted that both communications provide a good opportunity to bring new income models and increase the attractiveness of the forest sector. Closing the event, MEP Sarvamaa concluded that economic feasibility is crucial to achieve the best possible results. “The focus of the EU should not be more on restriction than on enabling,” he made clear.

You can read the full report of the session here.

You can read more about FAO’s work on a sustainable and circular bioeconomy for food systems transformation here.