Sustainable forestry event at COP21 on Dec 1st

The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) is hosting a side event in Paris on Finnish and Nordic forestry and carbon sinks. The purpose of the event is to explain why the use of Finnish and Swedish biomass is sustainable and therefore, carbon neutral.

Forests are essential for the climate, as they bind harmful carbon dioxide emissions i.e. act as so called carbon sinks. In order to control climate change, the COP21 negotiations will also discuss on deforestation and how to slow down and stop the decrease in global carbon sinks (forests). That is a serious problem in many countries in the world.

In a country like Finland, where forests are abundant, carbon sinks are not under threat. Even if the forest surface area is marginally decreasing, due to sustainable forest management the volume of biomass is measured and proven to grow continuously, underlines Mikael Ohlström, Chief Policy Advisor at the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).

EK is hosting a side event in Paris on Finnish and Swedish forestry and carbon sinks. Ohlström describes the goal of the event:

– We wish to increase awareness on our Nordic sustainable forestry and the scientific proof on the fact that the volume of carbon sinks is constantly growing. We want to explain why Finnish biomass is entitled to maintain the carbon neutral status as raw material and energy source.

EK’s co-hosts are Finnish Forest Industries, Finnish Energy, Finnish ministry of agriculture and forestry and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Wood you Believe in Forests

Tue 1 Dec. at 10.15 hours
Pavilion of the Nordic Council of Ministers
Hall 2B, room 65

Program

10.15
Snacks & coffee

10.30
Case: Forests and climate change mitigation in the Finnish context (Presentation)
Heikki Granholm, Director
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland

10.45
Forests and climate change mitigation in the Swedish context (Presentation)
Björn Boström, Senior Policy Adviser
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

11.00
Carbon Neutrality in Bio-economy (presentation)
Ahti Fagerblom, Manager
Energy and Climate Policy, Finnish Forest Industry

11.15
Bioenergy, by far the biggest renewable (presentation)
Joona Turtiainen, Senior Adviser, Energy and
Climate Policy, Finnish Energy

11.30 – 11.45
Discussion