Focused attention on the role of forests and forest products in the mitigation of climate change.

NEWLEAF

A proposal for implementation during the upcoming Irish EU Presidency

Nature’s environmental way through living, enduring and appropriate forests

 Introduction

This proposal emphasises three points:

1. The contribution that Europe’s forests and forest products are projected to make towards a climate neutral Europe by 2050, in line with the European Green Deal. It also outlines the need to consider forest practice modifications that can reduce the risks to existing forests posed by climate change.
2. It complements Ireland’s Climate Action Plan and coincides with the Irish Presidency of the European Union (July – December 2026).
3. The opportunity for Ireland to present a forest-based initiative at European level during an Irish Presidency is limited to once every 13 years or so.

Rationale and background information

Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2025 provides a roadmap to halve Ireland’s emissions by 2030 and to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050.  In addition, Ireland’s national plan supports the objectives of the European Green Deal for a climate neutral Europe.

The primary imperative in tackling climate change is by rapid and sustained reductions in the principal greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Forests can play an important additional role in driving climate ambition and are part of the EU’s suite of measures to stabilise and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere in line with the European Green Deal.

At the same time, forests are being increasingly impacted by climate change, albeit at different scales, across Europe. Recent science points ¹ to projected large-scale increases in forest disturbance regimes, caused by climate change, over the coming decades in Europe. These are likely to have important implications for ecosystem services provided by forests, including climate change mitigation and wood production. In Ireland, climate change projections are also predicting seasonal and annual changes in rainfall and increases in temperature. Adapting to changing climates will involve carefully considered changes to forestry practice both in forest composition and management.

At present forests cover approximately 39% of Europe’s land area. Under the European Green Deal, the EU has set a target to increase its net carbon sink in the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector to 310 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum by 2030. A concerted effort through climate focussed forest management and forest expansion in member states such as Ireland is needed to realise this ambition. In this context there remains considerable scope to expand Ireland’s current 11% forest cover to mid-century and beyond, in order to move towards a level that will sustain carbon storage and uptake, as well as other ecosystem services including wood production, biodiversity and flood attenuation.

In summary therefore this proposal focuses on the ability of forests to ameliorate climate change while recognising the variation that exists between Member States. It places an emphasis on the role of forests in storing carbon and as a provider of renewable wood products in the context of mitigating climate change, with a need for adaptive silviculture and forest management.  The acronym NEWLEAF reflects this need.

The proposal

1. That during the Irish Presidency of the EU, a stand-alone statement would be issued by Ireland outlining the importance of forests and forest products in contributing to ambitious climate goals to mid-century and beyond, and in the context of considering approaches to forest management practices that will help to adapt the forest resource to future climates.
2. That a tree planting event featuring EU leaders be held at a suitable venue using native Irish sessile oak to mark the importance of forests for Europe. A public information initiative would accompany the tree planting.
3. That a separate forestry event be held during the Irish Presidency by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in collaboration with the Society of Irish Foresters, with an emphasis on the role of forests and forest products in contributing to climate ambition.  The event to include 5-6 speakers including from DAFM, and academia in Ireland and abroad.

Summary of importance and relevance for the Irish EU Presidency

The initiators of this proposal are unaware of a previous forest-related initiative during previous Irish Presidencies. This proposal would provide a timely focus on an increasingly urgent issue of meeting the EU climate change ambitions and give public expression to Ireland’s climate action plan. A ceremonial planting of trees by the Heads of EU member countries during their autumn meeting in Ireland would provide added emphasis on this issue. The planting of a grove of 27 sessile oak – Ireland’s national tree, is suggested.

At the national level the forests and climate change event would focus attention on the role of forests and forest products in the mitigation of climate change.

1 Grunig M. et al. 2026. Climate change will increase forest disturbances in Europe throughout the 21st century. Science: 391: No. 6789.