Share
Publications

The shocking truth about EU forests in numbers

21 February 2020

The shocking truth about EU forests in numbers

By 2050, the EU forest sink will be halved if current management practices continue.

80% of EU forests with protected status are in an "unfavourable" or "bad" condition.

EU rules only require 36% of all trees burned for electricity to produce energy.

EU Member States spent €6.5 billion subsidising bioenergy in 2017.

It can take over 100 years for a forest to reabsorb carbon released from burning biomass.

An area larger than Greece (14.5 million hectares) is covered by plantations that are vulnerable to climate change and fires.

Download a PDF version of the leaflet here. 

But there is hope for forests! Keep scrolling...

But there is hope for forests! 

By 2050, EU forests could be absorbing three times more CO2.

By restoring EU forests to their former health, by 2050 we could triple the amount of carbon dioxide they remove each year. 

We must protect and restore our European forests; they are a key part of our heritage, are natural carbon sinks and can harbour rich biodiversity for generations to come. EU policies and financial mechanisms should support natural forests, not intensively logged monocultures and plantations. 

Categories: Briefing Notes, Bioenergy

We hope you found our research useful, please help us spread our message by sharing this content.

Share this: