Sustainable Forestry: Combatting the Climate and Biodiversity Crises

Forests serve important and multi-functional roles in tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. They capture and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, provide clean water and air, protect soils, cool cities, and halt habitat loss. The planting of larger, healthier and more diverse forests will be needed if the EU is to realise the target of 55% net emissions reduction by 2030.

In this seminar, three expert panellists discuss the EU’s Forest Strategy, which aims to improve the quantity and quality of EU forests and strengthen their protection, restoration and resilience; strategies for long-term sustainable forest management; and the social and economic implications of land-use change across Europe.

This event is co-organised by the IIEA and the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ireland. It is open to the public and free to attend.

About the Speakers:

Yvon Slingenberg is Director for Strategy, Analysis & Planning and Acting Director of Innovation for a Low Carbon, Resilient Economy in DG Climate Action, European Commission. Previously, Ms Slingenberg was Director with responsibility for International Affairs and served as a Senior Adviser in the Cabinet of Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Arias Cañete. Before this, she was Head of Unit of the Implementation of the EU ETS.

Dr Helen Ding is a Senior Environmental Economist with the Economics Centre at the World Resources Institute, where she serves as a subject matter expert on the economics and finance of forest and landscape restoration and economic valuation of natural capital. She leads the Economic Centre’s equitable economics workstream that conducts economic research to promote the sustainable use, and allocation of, natural resources and to ensure the fair and inclusive growth opportunities.

Arvids Ozols is the Director of the Forestry Department in the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture. Formerly the Chair of the European Forestry Commission, Mr Ozols has over thirty years of professional experience in the forestry sector. He holds a degree in forestry engineering from the Latvia University of Agriculture.