MISTRA DIGITAL FOREST ANNUAL REPORT 2020 1
SUSTAINABILITY Fredrik Klang, Senior Vice Preside
nt Forestry, Sveaskog, on biodiversity: “We have no right to compromise with the forest's biodiversity, it is part of our natural environment. We have a responsibility as utilisers of the natural environment, to ensure that all species and all natural processes in nature are preserved for future generations. To this end, certifications are a way of describing the work so that the wider world understands. It’s proof of our sustainable forestry.” FREDRIK KLANG "We need to be able to quantify and assess biodiversity" Biodiversity impacts from forestry is currently under debate. A credible and systematic way of assessing biodiversity is an important factor for success – for the forest, and for the forestry of the future. However, biodiversity is difficult to measure, and some of the methods currently available are not well adapted to Swedish conditions. So, Professor Per Erik Karlsson and Eskil Mattsson, researchers at IVL, are developing new methods for carrying out these assessments in the future. that it is tricky and time-consuming, but it is work that has also yielded results. – The EU's new Horizon Europe framework programme is presented this year, with a budget of almost €100 billion. It contains all sorts of research funding. Part of that amount is directed towards specific sectors, and that’s where I’m working to get more money for important areas in the forest sector. What can we do to influence the situation? – It’s really great to participate in the EU programmes, and many Swedish researchers and companies do just that, but they could be even more active. Some react against having to work with other actors in different countries, which can be a bit daunting. But these are the research projects monitored by the Commission. If Swedish organisations only choose domestic projects, there is a risk that the opportunity of influencing European development will be lost in favour of other organisations and sectors within the EU. JOHAN ELVNERT – We need to be able to measure and follow up biodiversity, in order to balance different sustainability impacts against each other, in a quantitative way. It is not enough to state "this is good and this is bad”. In order to have a constructive dialogue, you really need to quantify different aspects of sustainability, says Per Erik Karlsson. Through their work within Mistra Digital Forest, Per Erik Karlsson and Eskil Mattsson are developing measurable and quantifiable methods for evaluating biodiversity. It is not about inventing new methods, but instead it concerns the synthesis of various systems and methods that are available already. One method of measuring biodiversity that Per Erik Karlsson and Eskil Mattsson base their biodiversity work on is an international method, developed within the UN's environmental programme. The method is based on many years of research and development, and involves assessing the biodiversity impacts of different products, from a life cycle perspective. They see two particular challenges in applying this method of assessing biodiversity in Swedish forests: on the one hand, the assessments are applied to geographical regions that are far too large, and on the other hand, the reference levels used are not always relevant. – The international method is based on using a “natural forest” reference level, without human interventions in the past, which implies that all human activities have a negative impact on biodiversity. In many cases this is unrealistic. Instead, you can use reference levels where humans are part of the ecosystem. From that starting point, we then consider how we want biodiversity to develop in the future, Eskil Mattsson explains. The environmental quality objectives found in Living Forests – one of Sweden's 16 national environmental objectives – form an important basis for the project. They include various indicators by which to follow developments over time. The existing certification systems for the forest, such as FSC and PEFC, where relevant grounds for certification have long been discussed, are an additional source. Through the careful use of a broad palette of considerations in forestry, Sveaskog aims to increase the variety, and the biological diversity of the forest. The image shows Louise Åkerstedt, environmental and nature conservation specialist at Sveaskog. Photographer Lina Alriksson for Sveaskog. ESKIL MATTSSON – Right now we are in a phase of developing the methods, where we are trying to create a basic, common language. We are striving towards dialogue, where industry, researchers, nature conservation organisations, politicians and state authorities can meet and discuss ways of arriving at the best solutions, says Per Erik Karlsson. PER ERIK KARLSSON 7