In the context of combating climate change, a growing number of countries, regions, cities and communities in Europe, as well as in other parts of the world, aim to enhance the sustainable use of wood and other renewable materials by fostering a forest-based bioeconomy. The renewable resource wood and other wood-based materials play a vital role in enabling the transformation towards a carbon neutral circular economy and climate positive society.

Against this background, The ‘European Wood Policy Platform' (woodPoP) has been initiated by Finland and Austria. Both countries have a long tradition in using wood as a construction material as well as wood-related policy development. Both countries have joined forces to upscale wood related activities at the European and global level.

woodPoP provides a dedicated forum for multilateral policy, knowledge and experience exchange between public and private actors from the wood sector at national and regional level to share best practices and opportunities of coordinated approaches in developing policy solutions to enhance the sustainable production and consumption of wood and its contribution to an innovative, circular bioeconomy.

Since December 2023, the Secretariat of the European Wood Policy Platform is hosted by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO).  IUFRO will bring in its scientific network helping to provide policy options and will build synergies with the Wood For Globe project, also hosted in IUFRO.

The European Wood Policy Platform:

• develops wood-related policy solutions, measures and recommendations to strengthen wood-based circular bioeconomy and shapes the frameworks for sustainable wood-based value chains;
   
• amplifies the visibility of wood as key driver for inclusive green growth;
   
• creates joint understanding and actions on efficient, future-oriented wood-based pathways;
   
• scales up cooperation and joint activities on effective wood policy development and implementation in the pan-European region, integrating best-practices from European and national wood-related initiatives and actions also taking into account global perspectives.

Technical Working Groups (TWG) provide thematic fora in order to discuss specific subject matters in view of identifying issues of joint interest and developing recommendations and policy solutions. Participation is open to representatives from public and private sector, interest groups, research organizations and networks, government officials and invited experts.
 

Objectives of the Working Groups

• CONNECT: identify issues and adress data gaps
• EXCHANGE: discuss challenges and trade-off, develop solutions
• COLLABORATE: provide recommandations to the woodPoP High Level Meeting

The European Wood Policy Platform (woodPoP) Overview
Guidelines of the European Wood Policy Platform as agreed on 4 October 2023
woodPoP Call on upscaling wood policy cooperation in Europe

Second High Level Meeting, 4 October 2023, Helsinki, Finland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66Ac4coYvf0

First High Level Meeting, 1 December 2022, Innsbruck, Austria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcpY-APUwaA