Work Package 4

Work Package 4 is led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and focuses on finding realistic and socially acceptable ways to manage and conserve forests in Europe. The team is exploring how forest policies can support biodiversity and climate goals while also meeting the growing demands for wood, climate mitigation, and other benefits that forests provide to society. This work involves identifying the social and economic conditions that will shape forest management in the coming decades.

The team will map out areas that are especially important for conservation and restoration, based on their value for biodiversity and carbon storage, and the pressures they face. They will also explore how to balance different goals, such as supporting the bioeconomy, protecting nature, and storing carbon. Finally, the team will assess how European forest policies might affect biodiversity beyond Europe’s borders.