Region Archives: International

Special Feature

The Tree Frog News grew 44% to 105,000 readers in 2024. Your feedback is key to continue the trend!

By Sandy McKellar, Editor
Tree Frog Forestry News
January 29, 2021
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, United States, International

We’re proud to share that in 2024 the Tree Frog Forestry News readership surged by an impressive 44%, reaching 105,411 unique users (per Google Analytics)! This remarkable growth far outpaces our average annual increase of ~20% over the past decade. Even more, our audience is becoming increasingly continental: in 2020, 22% of our readers were US-based, but by 2024, that number climbed to 39%. Canada still leads at 51%, with the remaining 10% representing international readers from the UK, Australia, Japan, India, and beyond.

Click here to take the survey

Your feedback is essential to ensuring the Tree Frog Forestry News remains your trusted source for forestry updates. Completing our quick 6-8 minute survey will help us improve and continue to offer this free, open-access resource. The survey is completely anonymous, and your responses will be kept strictly confidential. Thank you for helping us grow and better serve the forestry community!

Read More

Business & Politics

China counters with tariffs on US products. It will also investigate Google

By Ken Moritsugu and Huizhong Wu
The Associated Press
February 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

BEIJING — China countered President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Chinese products with tariffs on select U.S. imports Tuesday, as well as announcing an antitrust investigation into Google. The Chinese response was “measured,” said John Gong, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. “I don’t think they want the trade war escalating,” he said. …This time, analysts said, China is much better prepared to counter, with the government announcing a slew of measures that cut across different sectors of the economy, from energy to individual U.S. companies. China said it would implement a 15% tariff on coal and liquefied natural gas products as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil. …China also announced export controls on several elements critical to the production of modern high-tech products. “A risk is that this is the beginning of a tit-for-tat trade war,” Stephen Dover of Franklin Templeton said.

Read More

European Union leaders vow to fight back if Trump imposes tariffs

By Rory Armstrong
The Associated Press in Euro News
February 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

Olaf Scholz

The European Union has responded with unity and conviction after US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that import tariffs on the European Union are “definitely happening”. …European leaders appeared to agree that the EU will fight US tariffs, if they were to be applied. German chancellor Olaf Scholz said the bloc “can react to tariff policies with tariff policies”. …As Trump’s moves forward his foreign policy agenda… the EU is looking to become more independent, both economically and militarily. “We have to do everything to avoid this totally unnecessary and stupid tariff war,” said Polish PM Donald Tusk, adding that “we cannot lose awareness of our interests. At the same time, we cannot lose our European self-respect and self-confidence. It’s not easy, but we’ll see.” The prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, said she “does not support fighting allies,” but that Denmark will respond to US tariffs.

Related coverage in:

Read More

European Commission approves International Paper’s acquisition of DS Smith subject to conditions

The European Commission
January 23, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The European Commission has conditionally approved International Paper’s $7.16 billion acquisition of DS Smith, contingent on divestitures of five facilities to address competition concerns. This includes three plants in Normandy, France, one in Ovar, Portugal, and one in Bilbao, Spain, ensuring competition remains intact in key European markets. The divestitures eliminate overlaps in corrugated packaging markets in northwest France, northern Portugal, and northeastern Spain. The regulator noted that, without these measures, the merger would have reduced market competition due to high concentration levels, likely resulting in increased costs for businesses relying on corrugated products. …The Commission’s decision, finalized on January 24, 2025, follows a detailed investigation under the EU Merger Regulation.

Read More

International Paper anticipates EU approval for $7.1bn DS Smith acquisition

Yahoo! Finance
January 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

Sustainable packaging solutions provider International Paper (IP) is set to receive approval from the EU for its £5.8bn ($7.12bn) acquisition of UK competitor DS Smith. …Reuters reported that the move comes after IP agreed to sell certain assets to resolve competition concerns. The European Commission is expected to make a formal decision on the deal by Friday (24 January). In March last year, IP made an all-share offer to acquire the entire issued share capital of the British packaging company DS Smith. …The all-share transaction would result in DS Smith’s shareholders owning approximately 33.8% of the combined entity. …The deal, now awaiting approval from the European Commission, is expected to enhance IP’s presence in the European paper and packaging sector, which is undergoing consolidation.

Read More

The world is moving on to trade without the US

By Ruchir Sharma
Financial Times
January 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

While Donald Trump has yet to act on his multiple tariff threats, it’s likely he will. So the fear lingers that the US president’s aggressive trade posture will sow global disorder, depressing growth and roiling markets, particularly if targeted nations retaliate. But retaliation is not the only or even the most likely response to Trump, no matter how broadly he finally delivers on his threats. The US has wielded tariffs as a weapon for eight years now. …Some nations retaliated; others offered concessions or challenged them before global trade arbiters. But most just quietly moved on, seeking trade with countries other than the US. Since 2017, trade has held more or less steady at just under 60% of global GDP. But there’s been a decline in the US share of trade flows offset by an increase in other regions. Trump 2.0 seems likely to bring more of the same: trade without America.

In related coverage: Trump sparks other countries to seeks trade deals with one another

Read More

Finance & Economics

Tariffs Could Add $3B to $4B to the US Home Building Costs

NAHB.org
January 27, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States, International

Scarcity and an acute, sustained rise in building material costs — from softwood lumber to distribution transformers — are driving up the cost to construct homes and harming housing affordability. There are several factors driving this trend, notably inflationary pressures and global factors, including trade uncertainty. …A tariff is essentially a tax on an imported good, meaning the importer pays an additional cost for importing such an item. …So tariffs on building materials raise the cost of housing, and consumers end up paying for the tariffs in the form of higher home prices. Two essential materials used in new home construction, softwood lumber and gypsum (used for drywall), are largely sourced from Canada and Mexico, respectively. Proposed new tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico are projected to raise the cost of imported construction materials by $3 billion to $4 billion, depending on the specific rates.

Read More

Global Consulting Alliance: Forest Sector Outlook Report – 2024-Q4

By Russ Taylor
Russ Taylor Global
January 26, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

RUSS TAYLOR GLOBAL is pleased to provide the latest quarterly report from the Global Consulting AllianceRUSS TAYLOR GLOBAL is a member of this group that features six independent consulting companies from around the world that focus on the international forestry and wood products sectors. The Forest Sector Outlook – 2024-Q1 report features global economic and forests/industry/market updates from all continents around the world. The report includes regional reviews on local market and industry developments in wood products and timberlands for each region. This 14-page report is available on our website.

Read More

UK timber industry predictions: 2025 looking ahead

By David Hopkins, Chief Executive
The Timber Trades Journal
January 24, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

UNITED KINGDOM — Most of us will have been pleased to see the back of 2024 as the sense of stagnation and sluggishness was felt from Downing Street to the High Street. …Despite the negative messaging, some of the government actions have been quite positive, albeit with a longer-term vision than a short-term sugar rush. The attempts to increase investment in infrastructure, especially housing, transport, energy and broadband will be key to improving productivity growth. …The introduction of the Future Homes Standard this year will also strengthen the case for timber construction systems due to its superior thermal and carbon performance. Finally, the government’s attempts to upskill and enlarge the labour force could also bear fruit for our sector. …We must show that the timber industry is essential to deliver on the government’s house building mission. 

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Canada Wood Group’s Market News and Insights Feb 2025

Canada Wood Group
February 3, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, International

Don’t miss these headlines and more in the February Market News and Insights:

  • Canada Wood Japan Achieves Shear Wall Multiplier 20 Breakthrough, Advancing Midrise Wood Construction 
    Canada Wood Japan, with support from the Government of Alberta, has developed a shear wall exceeding a multiplier of 20, tailored for Japan’s growing mid-rise wood construction sector. This advancement enhances earthquake resistance, aligning with the country’s strict seismic codes. 
  • Successful 90-Minute Fireproofing Tests Pave Way for Cost-Effective 2×4 Midrise Construction in Japan 
  • Expanding connections at the Smart Furniture Show 2024 – From high-end furniture to saunas, B.C. wood is finding a growing market in Vietnam.
  • Platform Frame Construction: Expanding Non-Residential Knowledge – Canada Wood Japan partnered with Japan Federation of Construction Contractors to showcase Canadian wood construction. 
  • Governing sustainably – western hemlock adds a touch of sophistication to Indian civic hall 

Read More

Timber stadium proposed for new, relocated Gabba, the Brisbane Cricket Ground in Queensland, Australia

By Cameron Atfield
The Brisbane Times
February 7, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

BRISBANE, Australia — A new Gabba, built right across the road from the old cricket ground, could break records as the world’s largest timber stadium. Architecture firm Kirk Studio’s proposal appeals to the 2032 International Olympic Committee’s sustainability strategy by using renewable construction material. The result would be a 60,000-seat “Gabba West” stadium across Main Street from the existing Gabba. …Speaking to this masthead, architect Richard Kirk said using timber would make Gabba West one of the most environmentally friendly stadiums in the world. “The commitment made in the bid for the Olympics is that it would be six-star Green Star, and a core part of that is we should be replacing up to 40% of the structure with renewable materials,” he said. “And the only renewable building material is timber.” …Using timber would also reduce the stadium’s weight – allowing it to sit more easily above both the Cross River Rail and Clem7 tunnels.

Read More

Governing sustainably – western hemlock adds a touch of sophistication to Indian civic hall

By Pranesh Chhibber
Canada Wood Group
January 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Unveiling its new design, the Indore Nagar Parishad Assembly Hall in India illustrates a thoughtful approach to modern civic interior design through the use of western hemlock – blending aesthetics, functionality, and environmental consciousness. …Recognizing the various benefits of wood and its aesthetic appeal, Ar. Puneet Pandey of VIMA sought a material that could contribute to the intended atmosphere of the space, particularly by incorporating natural elements which can reduce stress and improve cognitive performance through biophilic design principles. The hall needed to be more than just a meeting space; it needed to be aesthetically appealing and contribute to the overall environment, maintaining the sanctity of its purpose. Having established a prior relationship with FII India through trade events and educational seminars, Ar. Puneet Pandey sought the expertise of the FII India team to assist with material selection and project implementation.

 

Read More

Architecture firm clads “first all-wood” mass-timber structure in Mexico with translucent panels

By Ben Dreith
Dezeen
January 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Architecture studio PPAA has unveiled the first building in the country with a structure constructed predominantly of mass timber, claiming it is a “milestone in Mexican architecture”. Located in an industrial complex in Querétaro, Mexico, the building has a structure made almost completely from engineered wood products, prefabricated and assembled on-site, with only the stairwells made of metal. PPAA founder Pablo Pérez Palacios told Dezeen that he chose mass timber for its sustainability, reduced labour costs and the speed of construction, though he noted that mass timber is currently more expensive in Mexico than other common building materials such as steel or concrete… The facade was made from polycarbonate sheets called Danpal, which were chosen to increase the project’s light diffusion, weather resistance and energy efficiency.

Read More

Swedish startup to build pilot plant for wood-based material that purifies the air

The Next Web
January 28, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Swedish startup Adsorbi has secured €1mn to ramp up production of a cellulose-based material that sucks up pollutants from the air. Bordes and Grenda, the chief researchers, originally wanted to develop new ways to protect works of art from harmful pollution. But in the process, they discovered a way to turn cellulose from Sweden’s abundant forests into an air purification material with wide-ranging applications… The substance — which looks like little, white pieces of sponge — promises a better, greener alternative to activated carbon, the current market standard. Adsorbi claims its product lasts longer, doesn’t release any hazardous organic compounds back into the air, and is water and fire-resistant. Plus, the material has half the carbon footprint of activated carbon, the startup said.

Read More

The shape-shifting biomaterials that make buildings move

World Bio Market Insights
January 22, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

One of the amazing things about plants is their ability to change shape in response to environmental stimuli such as light and moisture, even without a brain or central nervous system. Now, a new generation of biomaterials is similarly able to respond to environmental cues… The research started off with cellulose – a material found in plants that changes size in line with humidity levels around it… In terms of borrowing from nature, this adaptive material ticks all the boxes. First, it is made from plant raw materials. Cellulose is an abundant natural material found in the cell walls of plants, fruits, leaves, and vegetables. Second, the cellulose is processed in ways that are inspired by the makeup of biological organisms. In short, it is both a biomaterial (made from biological stuff) and a bio-inspired material (designed based on biological mechanisms).

Read More

Forestry

Hong Kong scientists fight to save fragrant incense trees

By Tai Po
Associated Free Press in France 24
February 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Geneticist Zhang Huarong walks through the forest near his Hong Kong research lab, gesturing towards a rotting incense tree stump that is one of over a dozen illegally felled for the valuable wood inside. A stone’s throw from the city’s urban centre are forests home to trees that produce fragrant — and valuable — agarwood, used in a number of high-end products from incense and perfume to traditional Chinese medicine. Environmentalists say illegal incense tree felling is on the rise in Hong Kong, fueled by black market demand. Scientists like Zhang are fighting back by taking DNA samples from each plant and creating a database that can help authorities crack down — as well as offer insights into how the trees can be better conserved …Hong Kong has long been a hub for sweet-smelling aromatic products. The city’s name — translating to “fragrant harbour” — is commonly linked to the area’s history of incense production and sale.

Read More

Ministers Heydon and Healy-Rae note cessation of Scottish log exports to Ireland

By the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Government of Ireland
February 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Following the finding of larch bark beetles (Ips cembrae) by department Forestry Inspectors in one of its pheromone traps in Passage West Port in Cork in August last year, the export of coniferous logs from the Pest Free Area of Scotland into Ireland was paused on a precautionary basis, pending a full investigation by the Scottish authorities. Over this time, the department continued to engage closely with Scottish and Northern Ireland counterparts. Scottish Forestry informed the department last week that it cannot guarantee that the Scottish PFA is free from Ips cembrae bark beetles and, as such, can no longer meet EU phytosanitary import requirements. Under the rules of the World Trade Organisation and the International Plant Protection Convention standards, it is a matter for National Plant Protection Organisations to determine the status of any pest on their territories, and to communicate that position to trading partners. 

Read More

The last fragments of ancient Irish rainforests may face a new threat … trees

By Tommy Greene
The Guardian
February 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

This could almost be part of Lapland, up here,” says retired researcher John Spence, approaching a clearing in the Correl Glen nature reserve in Fermanagh, near Northern Ireland’s land border with the county of Leitrim. Spence pauses to point out oak, hazel, birch, ash and alder trees, along with a series of rare “filmy” ferns, wild strawberry bushes and honeysuckle. There are well over 100 species of lichen in this small patch of temperate rainforest alone. These are the “gnarled oakwood remnants of the ancient Irish rainforests”, says Spence, who spent his career researching aquatic ecosystems. Tiny patches of them are scattered over this region, falling on both sides of the border. Today, this fragment is encircled by stretches of tightly packed coniferous plantations. “When I was young in the 50s, there was none of this coniferous forest,” he says, gesturing towards one darkening, square grid of pine. “It was all moorland.”

Read More

Türkiye enhances wildfire prevention in vulnerable forest villages

The Daily Sabah
February 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The General Directorate of Forestry (OGM), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has developed prevention and response models and prepared emergency evacuation plans for 10 selected villages as part of its wildfire prevention efforts. A significant portion of Türkiye’s forests, located within the Mediterranean climate zone, are at risk of wildfires. The ministry continues its fight against forest fires with a strategy focused on prevention, extinguishing and reforestation. In this scope, new vehicles, technologies and projects have been added to the inventory to prevent fires and minimize losses. Taking a new step in wildfire prevention, OGM has collaborated with local governments and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) to finalize a project to strengthen the resilience of forest villages to wildfires.

Read More

Global ‘gigantism’ hotspot: Tasmanian tree standing at almost 100m tallest in the country

By Petra Stock
The Guardian
January 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Australian researchers have documented the tallest and most massive living trees in Tasmania, a “global hotspot of gigantism in plants”, including 18 examples over 90 metres. Most of the largest and tallest were Eucalyptus regnans, commonly known as mountain ash, including a tree known as “Centurion”, measuring 96 metres, according to new research in the Australian Journal of Botany. Located in the state’s Huon Valley, Centurion was once the world’s second tallest specimen, behind “Hyperion”, a coastal redwood in California measuring 115.6 metres. This made Australia, and especially Tasmania, a “global hotspot of gigantism in plants”, according to co-author Dr David Bowman, a professor of fire science at the University of Tasmania with a background in eucalypt ecology. Bowman said Tasmanian eucalypts were the “kings and queens of the forest” that were achieving “the physiological limit of what a giant tree can be”.

Related content from Yahoo!News: Hunters of Australia’s rare ‘giant trees’ warn time running out to visit them

Read More

A global look at effects of climate change on frogs and toads

The Wildlife Society
January 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

An international survey of frogs and toads has revealed that global warming and drought are more likely to affect the animals in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforests. The research published in Nature Climate Change is the most comprehensive study predicting these effects across the planet. “The Amazon and the Atlantic Rainforest are the biomes with the most anuran species and the highest probability of an increase in both the frequency and intensity or duration of drought events,” said Rafael Bovo, a researcher at the University of California, Riverside. “This will be harmful to the physiology and behavior of countless species. These biomes are among the regions of the planet with the greatest diversity of amphibians. Many species only occur in these places.” The researchers also discovered that between 6.6% and 33.6% of frog and toad habitats will suffer from drought by 2080-2100 based on the level of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Read More

‘Copper’-eyed frog found lurking in Ecuador forest and discovered as new species

By Aspen Pflughoeft
Idaho Statesman
January 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

In a darkened forest of northern Ecuador, a “long”-limbed creature perched on a bush and called out. Its “copper” eyes scanned the shadowy landscape, but it wasn’t the only one looking around. Passing scientists spotted the lurking animal — and discovered a new species. Researchers hiked into the mountainous forests around the Mira River several times in 2023 to survey wildlife, according to a study published Jan. 29 in the peer-reviewed journal Zoological Science. They were primarily looking for some “cryptic” and hard-to-identify frogs. During the nighttime hikes, researchers found several reddish-brown frogs. They took a closer look at the bumpy animals, tested their DNA and soon realized they’d discovered a new species: Pristimantis praemortuus, or Praemortuus’ rainfrog.

Read More

Great tits thrive in old-growth forests

By Ethan Freedman
Popular Science
January 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

After a forest is logged, that land is often re-planted with new saplings. Within a few decades, those trees will have grown pretty big, and the forest will look much like a forest once again, with birds singing among the shade of the boughs. But a new study finds that, despite this apparent rebirth, younger forests may not offer those birds the same quality of habitat as an old-growth forest—with differences between the two forest types stretching all the way down to a cellular level. Researchers in Latvia compared wild forests more than 100 years old with managed pine forests just 40-50 years old. They studied how many insects were living in each forest type by measuring the amount of frass (insect poop and other droppings) that fell from trees. They also took blood samples from 15 day-old great tits—a common European songbird—to measure the birds’ stress levels.

Read More

‘We’re devastated at losing Edinburgh’s tallest tree’

By Angie Brown
BBC Scotland
January 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The man in charge of the tallest tree in Edinburgh said he is “devastated” it has been felled by Storm Éowyn – 166 years after it was planted during a visit by Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Albert. Simon Milne, Regius Keeper at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said his “heart sank” when he walked over the hill and saw the 100ft (30m) Himalayan cedar lying on the ground. He told BBC Scotland News it was one of 15 trees uprooted or broken beyond recovery in Scotland’s national botanical collection, with a further 25 others badly damaged. The species of tree is known to live for 600 years in its native habitat so it was not in its later stages of life.

Read More

Calls for end to logging in NSW state forests assessed for the Great Koala National Park

By Jesse Hyland
ABC News, Australia
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Meredith Stanton has an undeniable love for the forests within her local community. …The long-time conservationist has resided next to Clouds Creek State Forest on the NSW Mid North Coast for more than 40 years. While logging in Clouds Creek was suspended early last year, Ms Stanton has watched operations continue in nearby forests such as Sheas Nob State Forest. Clouds Creek and Sheas Nob are among multiple state forests in the region earmarked for the Great Koala National Park. … However, ecologists have expressed frustration over the slow progress and the continuation of logging by Forestry Corporation. …Forestry Corporation rejected the findings that there had been accelerated logging. “There has been no increase in timber harvesting in the area subject to assessment for the park,” a spokesperson said.

Read More

WWF blasts Sweden, Finland over logging practices

France24
January 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Sweden and Finland are not doing enough to protect their primary and old-growth forests, falling short of EU commitments, the World Wildlife Fund said in a report. “Thousands of hectares of forests with high conservation value are logged each year, despite their importance for climate stability, biodiversity, and long-term ecological health,” said the WWF. …Private forest owners insist they are complying with current legislation and that their felling of trees is sensible. “Nobody cuts down trees just for the fun of it,” Magnus Kindbom, forestry director at the Federation of Swedish Farmers said. “It’s because there’s a need in society. “And if we didn’t use wood products, which have no negative impact on the climate, then we would have to use more fossil fuels,” he added. “That’s the dilemma we face: how to find the best compromise between having access to more biomass and understanding its impact on biodiversity.”

Read More

Indonesia Aims to Curb Emissions Growth by 2035 in Forestry Bet

By Norman Harsono and Sheryl Tian Tong Lee
Bloomberg News in the Financial Post
January 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Indonesia aims to limit emissions growth to 23% by 2035 from 2019 levels through conserving forests and peatlands to mitigate pollution, according to a top official. The nation expects its total greenhouse gas emissions will reach between about 1.3 billion and 1.4 billion tons a year in a decade, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said in an interview this week, affirming draft targets released in August. Indonesia will submit its goals to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by mid-February, he said. The plan has attracted criticism for its heavy reliance on forests as potential carbon sinks and its limited ambition to cut emissions in polluting industries in the near term. Large ecosystems can absorb more carbon dioxide than they release but Indonesia’s forests have historically been a net carbon source due to deforestation, emitting more than 300 million tons a year on average between 2001 and 2023, according to Global Forest Watch. 

Read More

Warming climate driving fundamental shifts in Boreal forests: Study

By Himanshu Nitnaware
Down to Earth.org
January 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Nearly half of the global boreal forests — spanning Canada, Alaska and Siberia — are undergoing major transitions due to climate change, making them increasingly vulnerable to forest fires and altering their role as a key carbon sink, a new study has revealed.  These forests are vast and found in the cold, northern regions. However, they are warming four times faster than the global average and are expected to shift into a new ecological regime. This transformation could impact global climate regulation by triggering biome shifts and changes in tree cover dynamics, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)… It suggested that the boreal biome shifting to an open state indicates that its current distribution is unstable and temporary.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Beyond fairy tales – the realities of sustainable forestry investment

By Charlie Sichel
IPE Real Assets
February 6, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, International

As institutional interest in real asset investing grows, forestry is gaining recognition beyond its core enthusiasts for its ability to produce income and capital growth, alongside added benefits like carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection. However, trust in sustainability-focused investments remains a challenge. In EY’s 2024 Institutional Investor Survey, 85% of respondents said misleading claims about sustainability are more of a problem today than five years ago, despite regulators’ efforts to quash exaggerated ESG statements. …A persistent narrative is that established timberlands are better, safer investments than new greenfield developments. The truth is more nuanced. Greenfield projects, which involve reforesting degraded or underused land, offer an opportunity to achieve ‘additionality’ – a crucial component of effective carbon sequestration. …For forestry investors, the upshot is clear: regulatory uncertainty is currently a barrier to restoring widespread trust in carbon markets, and resolving this will take time.

Read More

US Withdrawal From the Paris Climate Accord and its Impact on the Voluntary Carbon Market

By George Fatula, Nicholas Neuberger & Scott Segal
JDSupra
February 4, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, International

To formally pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, the Trump administration will need to formally submit a withdrawal letter to the United Nations, which administers the pact. The withdrawal would become official one year after the submission. The formal withdrawal of the United States and subsequent changes to agreements under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change cannot be transmitted to the United Nations until President Trump’s nominee to be US Ambassador to the UN, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), is confirmed by the Senate. …The withdrawal raises key questions about the future of the voluntary carbon market (VCM), particularly in light of the Paris Climate Accords’ role in driving offset demand. …Without the federal endorsement of climate goals, corporate strategies might shift away from investing in carbon offsets, diminishing demand for carbon credits. Furthermore, uncertainty surrounding federal support could delay or derail the development of new VCM projects.

Read More

Green campaigners fear UK to renew subsidies to Drax power station

By Fiona Harvey
The Guardian
February 6, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Green campaigners fear ministers are poised to award billions of pounds in fresh subsidies to Drax power station, despite strong concerns that burning trees to produce electricity is bad for the environment. Drax burns wood to generate about 8% of the UK’s “green” power, and 4% of overall electricity. This is classed as “low-carbon” because the harvested trees are replaced by others that take up carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. But many studies have shown that wood burning harms the environment, by destroying forests, and because of the decades-long time lag between the immediate release of carbon dioxide CO2 from burning and the growth to maturity of replacement trees. Drax currently receives billions of pounds in subsidies from energy bill payers, at the rate of about £2m a day according to Greenpeace, but these are scheduled to run out in 2027. A government decision to continue the support payments beyond the cut-off could come on Monday.

Read More

Climate Rules Threaten the Money Growing in Nordic Trees

By Jonas Ekblom and Leo Laikola
Bloomberg
February 7, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Swedes and Finns have long monetized their forests. EU climate goals — seen as a threat to both family wealth and the two national economies — are fast becoming a lightning rod for anger. …In Sweden and neighboring Finland, forestry is, to all intents and purposes, a retail asset class. In Sweden, some 300,000 people own, in total, half of the country’s forests. In Finland, 60% of forests belong to 600,000 individuals. Owners like Velander have been able to work their land with relatively light regulations, generally free to harvest trees when and as they chose. The way these small forest owners traditionally manage their land is, they contend, also good for the climate. But this approach, along with their investments, is under threat from a growing number of European Union regulations aimed at protecting biodiversity and reducing the bloc’s carbon emissions. In Sweden and Finland these measures have been interpreted as a potential ban on logging. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]

Read More

Finland’s forests now emit more CO2 than they absorb

The Helsinki Times
January 29, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Finland’s forests, once a crucial carbon sink, have become a source of emissions, raising concerns over the country’s climate policy and carbon neutrality targets. According to the latest data from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Finland’s forests emitted 1.12 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2023. This shift began gradually around 2010 and has accelerated since 2018. By 2021, Finland’s forests had transitioned from absorbing carbon to releasing it. The main causes are declining forest growth, increased logging, and rising emissions from forest soil. The land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector, which includes forests, emitted a total of 11.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2023. This makes it one of Finland’s largest emission sources, surpassing emissions from sectors such as agriculture. LUKE’s report highlights three key reasons behind the decline of Finland’s forest carbon sink.

Read More

Finland stopping logging won’t save global climate, says new climate minister

By Aleksi Teivainen
Helsinki Times
January 27, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Sari Multala

Sari Maltala, a 46-year-old third-term Member of Parliament from Uusimaa, has started in her new role as minister of climate and the environment by emphasising the needs of the forest industry. Multala on Friday outlined at a press conference that the climate crisis and biodiversity loss are “fateful questions” for the planet that require “effective solutions”. She acknowledged that measures to strengthen the carbon sink of forests – the cornerstone of the national effort so achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 – are required but declined to specify the nature of such measures. When asked about the need to scale back logging volumes – one of the primary causes of the shrinking carbon sink – she took the opportunity to emphasise the needs of the forest industry. “The world’s climate can’t be saved by stopping logging in Finland,” she retorted.

Read More

UK would need forest ‘twice size of London’ to offset new airport expansion

By Josh Gabbitiss and Verner Viisainen
CarbonBrief.org
January 27, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

A forest twice the size of Greater London would need to be planted in the UK to cancel out the extra emissions from the expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports, Carbon Brief analysis reveals. New runaways at these airports surrounding London would result in cumulative emissions of around 92m tonnes of extra carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2050, if the number of flights increases in line with their operating company targets. For example, offsetting these emissions would require more than 300,000 hectares of trees to be planted within just a few years. This equates to all the trees planted in the UK since 2000… Reeves has stressed that “sustainable aviation fuels” (SAFs) and electric planes could help to offset these emissions. However, such technologies are still in the early stages of deployment and previous Carbon Brief analysis suggests the role of SAFs in achieving net-zero may be limited.

Read More

Drax is taking positive action to deliver secure clean power and climate goals

By Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Chief Sustainability Officer
Drax Group Inc.
January 23, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Drax divides opinion. Some recognise the critically important role we play in generating renewable power which keeps the lights on for millions. Others argue that we are not ‘green enough’ and need to do more to demonstrate that we are part of the solution to tackling the existential threat of climate change. …Since the Ukrainian conflict and the ongoing uncertainty around investments needed to achieve net zero, energy has overtaken many other sectors in the controversy stakes. We recognise that some people have concerns about our operations. …this year will see us make changes to further integrate sustainability across our operations. We are … taking positive action to provide greater transparency about our plans, processes and operations.  We are developing this new approach in consultation with experts to ensure that we’re on the right path to being climate, nature and people positive.

Read More

The Democratic Republic of Congo to create the Earth’s largest protected tropical forest reserve

World Economic Forum
January 22, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The Congo Basin is home to the largest expanse of intact tropical forest on Earth, covering approximately 3.7 million square kilometres. It retains vast areas of undisturbed forest – like the 108,000 square kilometres in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an area about the size of Iceland. The Amazon has steadily lost its carbon storage potential, flipping from a sink to a net emitter in 2021. But, the Congo Basin is still functioning effectively as a carbon sink, a crucial planetary buffer limiting greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The Congo Basin is currently the largest and healthiest tropical forest carbon sink in the world, sequestering 1.5 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually with a peat swamp that stores 29 billion tonnes of carbon – equivalent to about three years’ worth of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Read More

Burning wood for power not necessary for UK’s energy goals, analysis finds

By Fiona Harvey
The Guardian
January 22, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The UK should stop burning wood to generate power because it is not needed to meet the government’s target of decarbonising the electricity sector by 2030, according to analysis. Ed Miliband, the energy security and net zero secretary, is expected to make a decision soon on whether to allow billions of pounds in new public subsidies for biomass burning, despite fierce opposition from green groups. Campaigners have amassed years of evidence of how much destruction burning wood causes to forests and wildlife around the world, and argue that it is not “carbon neutral” because regrowing trees takes decades to make up for the carbon emitted when burned. But ministers were thought to be reluctant to let go of the capacity for baseload power generation that biomass represents. Biomass makes up roughly 4% of the UK’s total electricity generation, and about 8% of “green” power generation, most of it coming from Drax.

See the analysis in E3G: The UK’s clean power mission: Delivering the prize

Read More

South Korea to shrink biomass energy subsidies after criticism over link to deforestation

By Victoria Milko
Associated Press
January 21, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The South Korean government will reduce subsidies for biomass energy after rising domestic and international criticism of its link to deforestation. Environmental activists generally applauded the reforms but criticized loopholes and slow timelines for phasing out the subsidies. … Biomass power … is growing globally as countries accelerate their transition to use cleaner energy — even though many scientists and environmentalists see it as problematic. In South Korea, it’s the second-largest source of renewable energy. South Korea has subsidized biomass energy with millions of dollars for more than a decade via their renewable energy certificates program. South Korea’s biomass power industry has structured its business model around importing large volumes of wood pellets at lower prices from forest-rich nations. …Experts said South Korea’s policy change could signal a shift in how countries consider and incorporate biomass as part of their own energy transitions.

Read More

Health & Safety

Too Much Screen Time Is Rewiring Kids’ Brains. Can Forest Schools Fix It?

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
January 31, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

…Endless hours in front of devices are quietly rewriting the blueprint of childhood, reshaping the way that young people think, interact, develop, and experience the world. Young people today spend between 5 and 9 hours staring at screens, but less than 10 minutes a day enjoying time playing in nature. The result? Rising rates of anxiety, body image dissatisfaction, reduced attention spans, waning creativity, and sleepless nights. Brain scans show kids glued to screens experience premature thinning in the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s control centre for impulse control, attention, emotional regulation, and decision-making. …But there is a solution… The antidote is far simpler than reducing screen time. It’s the original technology: nature. …One movement helping to lead this reconnection is the forest school. Forest schools are built on a simple but radical idea: the best classroom doesn’t have walls. Here, nature is a teacher.

Read More