The SINCERE project concluded with a major paper on policy-relevant findings to support multiple forest ecosystem services (FES) in Europe. These findings are based on research and innovation action carried out during the four-and-a-half-year project, along with insights from the ERA-NET project NOBEL and the H2020 project CLEARING HOUSE.

The paper, Governing Europe’s forests for multiple ecosystem services: opportunities, challenges, and policy options, submitted for publication in the journal Forest Policy and economics, presents clear challenges facing the supply of multiple FES in Europe. These focus largely on aligning the variety of societal and political demands with FES supply in a context of three interconnected mega-challenges faced by European forests: 1) adaptation to climate change; 2) the progressing “biodiversity crisis”; and 3) the need for transition to a more sustainable bioeconomy.

The paper provides ideas on how future European forest governance could align demand and supply in the light of these challenges, and identifies opportunities on how this supply could be ensured.  Finally, it suggests four future pathways for European forest policy to address the challenges and make use of the opportunities identified.

A Policy Brief dives straight into the four policy pathways, giving a concise overview on the main conclusions from the paper.

These findings are the culmination of SINCERE and NOBEL project activities and a consultation process where key findings and recommendations were discussed with policy stakeholders in September and December 2021. These were complemented by additional consultation and research considering aspects beyond the scope of the SINCERE and NOBEL projects.

Both the paper and policy brief are available via open access:

Download the Policy Brief

Read the full Policy Paper (pre-print)