The current situation of state forests has changed in recent years, and although they are still important carbon sinks in Finland, their overall carbon sink is not as strong as before. This has prompted debate and reassessment of calculations, in particular by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). Forests, which have traditionally acted as major carbon sinks, have, according to recent estimates, faced a decline in their carbon sequestration capacity. The calculations produced by Luke have shown that, despite the decline, forests continue to play an important role in combating climate change.
Jussi Kumpula, Managing Director of Metsähallitus' Forestry Division, has pointed out that increasing the carbon sink of state-owned forests has become more difficult. This challenge has led many to consider strategies to increase carbon sinks in the future. Kumpula stresses that while improving the situation is complex, giving up is not an option.
One major challenge is to navigate between business and environmental objectives, as forests are also used for economic benefits. Maximising the potential of carbon sinks requires balancing a range of practices, including forest management, regulation and sustainability requirements. This requires concerted action by various stakeholders, including public and private actors, each of whom has a role to play in shaping forest use.
Metsähallitus has set ambitious targets for 2035. The plan is to increase the carbon sinks of business-use multi-purpose forests by 10%, compared to 2018 levels. These targets require a multi-faceted approach, but there is no guarantee that they will be achieved.
Multi-use forests are key, serving both the needs of forestry and carbon sequestration. Managing these forests and maximising their ecosystem services are essential to meet the targets. This means innovative solutions in forest management, such as promoting species diversity and forest growth rates, and maintaining a controlled logging regime. Such measures require continued research and policy decisions that support sustainable development.
At the latest briefing, Metsähallitus provided an up-to-date snapshot of the state of the state's forests and carbon sinks. The results presented at the event highlighted the need for reforms to ensure that Finland's forests can continue to be an important resource in the fight against climate change. Kumpula stressed that the results of the calculations are a reminder that measures need to be reconsidered and reapplied.
Special attention must be paid to terminology to clarify ambiguities about the difference between carbon sinks and carbon stocks. Future strategies must be quality-driven, which means that both environmental and economic aspects are taken into account in a balanced way. In the coming years, monitoring and evaluation will be key elements in determining how effectively targets are met and how well state forests can continue to work for the climate.
