CAN Europe, together with 53 other NGOs, sent a joint letter opposing the recent statement by the Finnish and Swedish Prime Ministers, which calls for weakening the EU’s Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation.
Our main message to decision-makers is clear: they should reject the claims made by the Finnish and Swedish governments, as these are not grounded in scientific evidence. Moreover, they undermine carbon accounting, justify the decline of carbon sinks by pointing to uncontrolled climate change and natural disturbances, ignoring the increase of unsustainable harvesting levels, and call for additional flexibilities – both now and in the next policy cycle.
International NGOs signing the letter are calling for:
- Resilient European forests that benefit people, nature, and the climate. Achieving this requires a fundamental shift in current forestry practices.
- A transition away from clear-cutting – which harms carbon sinks and biodiversity – towards continuous cover forestry, a scientifically proven approach that enhances both carbon storage and ecosystem health.
- Stronger policy frameworks to help restore Europe’s forest carbon sinks, including the removal of incentives that promote destructive logging practices.
