The Need for Active Forest Management in Response to a Declining Carbon Sink
The EU’s carbon sink has been steadily declining since 2013, posing both an environmental and economic challenge not only for the European bioenergy sector but for the EU’s climate neutrality goals. During the recent Biomass Supply Working Group Meeting, Bioenergy Europe’s members discussed the core causes of this decline and the role the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation could play in reversing it.
Jeremie Geelen, Market Intelligence Director and Forester by training (Bioenergy Europe) underlined that despite a steady increase in the total carbon stored in forests, the rate of carbon capture continues to fall. Geelen pointed to key factors including aging tree populations, rising mortality due to climate disturbances, and harvesting. These trends have serious implications—not only for Europe’s climate goals, but also for the long-term sustainability of biomass supply.
Geelen emphasized two diverging approaches to forest management:
A hands-off approach that prioritizes rewilding and passive conservation, potentially offering short-term carbon sink gains but risking long-term resilience. This method will reduce the wood supply so much that a realistic bioeconomy for the EU would be out of reach, leaving the continent reliant on fossil carbon sources and materials.
An active management approach that rejuvenates forests through replanting and assisted relocation, increasing their capacity to absorb carbon over time while ensuring a steady supply of sustainable biomass. This pathway, he argued, aligns more closely with a functional bioeconomy and the EU’s broader decarbonization targets.
This framing set the tone for the rest of the meeting, where participants explored how ongoing policy and market dynamics are affecting biomass availability in Europe.
Diego Benedetti from the European Organisation of the Sawmilling Industry (EOS) connected Geelen’s insights to the state of the sawn-wood market. Since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, production has declined sharply, while manufacturing costs—especially for raw materials and energy—have soared. Policies like LULUCF could further tighten supply if they inadvertently discourage sustainable harvesting.
Hannah Adler of Argus Media provided a market snapshot of woodchips. EU legislation, along with hard-to-abate sectors, will be key demand drivers in the future. Notably, biochar and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)—both essential components of a bio-based climate strategy—are expected to expand. These technologies, however, depend on a predictable and resilient biomass supply—again reinforcing the need for strategic forest management.
The discussion throughout the Working Group made clear that Europe’s biomass strategy cannot be separated from its forest policy. A resilient, actively managed forest landscape is not just a carbon sink—it’s a cornerstone of the EU’s energy transition and industrial future.
Participating in the Working Groups allows stakeholders to better understand the challenges and opportunities in forest management and biomass supply, providing exclusive insights that are invaluable for shaping the future of the bioenergy sector.
As the EU reviews the implementation of the LULUCF Regulation, it is important that bioenergy stakeholders across the entire value chain actively participate in the discussion.. Only by shifting to a long-term, resilient approach can Europe ensure both climate impact and biomass availability for a thriving bioeconomy.
