Representatives of the timber industry from seven European Union member states are committed to ensuring climate protection, employment, and the creation of added value through the use of timber obtained from sustainable forest management.

Herbert Jöbstl (Herbert Jöbstl), Chairman of the Austrian Timber Industry Association, explains: “The EU and its member states want to fight climate change, which requires decarbonisation across many economic sectors and making the economy as a whole more sustainable. Forests and the use of wood are already contributing to this, and they could contribute even more. Unfortunately, many policy impulses in the European Union, particularly from the European Commission, are pointing in a different direction.”

Therefore, the timber industry associations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and Slovenia are demanding:

– A clear commitment to ensuring sustainable forest management;

– An impact assessment of EU policy and its interactions on forests, as well as the forestry and timber industry value chain;

– Better framework conditions for sustainable forest management and the use of wood.

From the industry's perspective, many legal acts or strategies are creating misguided incentives. This involves either subjecting large forest areas to even stricter legal protection and restricting forest management, or achieving carbon storage in forests through “forced” measures.

Herbert Jöbstl: “Converting a forest into a carbon sink will not lead to the intended decarbonisation. Forests must be managed systematically to become climate-friendly, with tree species adapted to the specific location and protection against pests. Sustainable forest management ensures the vitality of forests and continuous growth at a high level.” Furthermore, CO₂ emissions can be prevented by using timber harvested from European forests. The expansion of timber construction and the widespread use of this material offer alternatives to fossil raw materials and to materials and products that generate high CO₂ emissions.

“While the carbon in harvested wood remains sequestered in a wooden building, the new tree grows in the forest, growing 'anew' and absorbing CO₂ again and again. In this way, we create a 'second forest' that protects the climate and guarantees jobs. The use of wood and active forestry are powerful levers for fighting climate change,” emphasises Herbert Jöbstl of the Austrian Timber Industry Association.

Ultimately, forestry and the timber industry are a very strong economic sector that is largely independent of raw materials from outside the borders of the European Union. Given the climate change and economic uncertainty, the timber industry requires reliable and economically viable access to raw materials. This must not be restricted by politics.

“Criticism of the EU's course is not an individual opinion of Austria. Industry associations from six other member states, which have large forest areas and experience in the timber industry, are in agreement on this common position. We will seek other partners to share our concerns,” emphasises H. Jöbstl, adding: “The European Commission, in particular, must clarify what it wants: the use of timber in construction is impossible without wood from the forest.”