Sustainable forest management: Austria in the lead
Austria on the road to success: the latest figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) confirm that the Austrian forest industry is on the right track. Along with Sweden, Latvia and Denmark, Austria is one of the pioneers when it comes to sustainable forest management.
The active and sustainable management of our forests is essential when it comes to protecting the climate and has two positive effects on our environment: greenhouse gases are decreasing and the forest is growing. How do we accomplish that? This has been achieved by applying the principles of sustainable forest management for generations. The latter takes all of the functions of our forests into account at the same time – whether it be the forest’s protective function, its use, or for wellbeing and relaxation.
More forest, less greenhouse gases
To add to this, the continuous growth of the amount of wood in the forests has a positive impact: in the last 30 years alone, in the top 5 EU countries, some billions of tonnes of CO2 were stored and thus the atmosphere was freed of the burden of greenhouse gases detrimental to the environment. Wood, as an extended carbon store, acts like a second forest: in the time in which wood, for example, is used in the form of building materials in houses, it is growing back in the forest. The same is true for our wood-based and completely biodegradable VEOCELTM fibers which can be found in everyday products for baby care, cosmetics and the household. Likewise clothing of Viscose and Lyocell has the same effect – as a result of wood-based fibers we support the very body of the forest and space is made for young trees which in turn store CO2.
The EU – a global role model
Every five years the FAO compiles an extensive report on the global state of our forests (Global Forest Resources Assessment - FRA). The report, published this summer, examined 236 countries and regions in the period from 1990 to 2020 and confirms the role model function of Europe: in the EU, the forest area was extended from 145 to 159 mill. hectares within a period of 30 years. This increase of 14 million hectares corresponds to the entire national territory of Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia together.
Source & further information:
This initiative is presented by
Supported by
