Moving towards a sustainable low-carbon bioeconomy has emerged as a global goal. The forest sector is in a unique position to contribute significantly to the achievement of this goal.

Wood and non-timber forest products and their respective value chains can play an important role in securing people’s livelihoods in rural but also in urban areas. Under the premise that potential negative impacts on forest ecosystems must be avoided, the use of these natural resources can make significant contributions to achieving the global sustainability goals as well as international agreements on climate, biodiversity and combating desertification.

To benefit from these contributions, it is necessary to shape wood policies in a more structured way on the global level. WOOD for GLOBE aims to strengthen wood policy dialogues by exchanging knowledge and good practices and mobilizing scientific evidence to support decision making.

The project comprises the following main activities:

• Technical knowledge and policy experience exchange: Convening and connecting policy, technical experts, and practitioners to share “good practice” expertise on priority topics related to sustainable wood use to enable concrete learning and exchange to strengthen networking and exchange practices.
• Scientific knowledge and experience exchange: Identifying and mobilising scientific expertise to inform policy dialogues and technical exchanges by providing syntheses of latest scientific innovations and knowledge in view of supporting a transition to an increased use of wood as a renewable, climate-neutral resource in circular and resilient economies in global policy.
• Global and regional policy dialogues: Organising and implementing global and regional policy dialogue on experiences on up-scaling the contribution of sustainable wood-based materials in ways that build on synergies and successfully address potential trade-offs.

• Global wood policy/governance review and needs assessment analysisstock-taking report of sustainable wood policies and approaches to encourage and assess carbon emission reduction potential. (pending)

• IUFRO World Congress (23-29 June 2024)
• Ministerial event on the margins of COFO 27: Sustainable Wood Call for Action (19 July 2024)
• Hybrid High-Level Dialogue of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World (SW4SW) and WOOD for GLOBE "Advancing Sustainable Wood Policy and Science for Carbon-neutral and Resilient Economies" (25 March 2024)  Concept note - Agenda - Presentations (to be available soon)
• Panel on Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World at the IUFRO 2023 Latin American Conference (17 October 2023)
• Event at the 30th Asia Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) “Wood products: building blocks for a sustainable bioeconomy in Asia and the Pacific” (2 October 2023)
• Exploring pathways to foster a sustainable forest-based bioeconomy for Latin America and the Caribbean Sustainable forest-based industries (fao.org) (27 June 2023)

WOOD for GLOBE is building on existing initiatives such as:

Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood

The Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood was announced at the XV World Forestry Congress, where country representatives came together in the Ministerial Forum on Sustainable Wood to call for scaling-up sustainable wood-based pathways and committed to join forces together to promote enhanced policy and technical dialogue. They invited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and members of the Collaborative Partnership of Forests (CPF) to support these efforts. As a member of the CPF, IUFRO answered this call with the proposal of Wood for Globe. Read the Ministerial Call on Sustainable Wood

Access the event recording and press release: https://www.fao.org/event/world-forestry-congress/wfc-programme/special-events/ministerial-forum-on-sustainable-wood---towards-carbon-neutral-and-resilient-economies/en

SW4SW Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World (fao.org)

Wood for Globe is aligned with the CPF Joint Initiative Sustainable Wood for a Sustainable World and strives to leverage synergies with SW4SW through close coordination, as well as joint activities and outreach.

https://www.fao.org/collaborative-partnership-on-forests/initiatives/strengthening-global-advocacy-on-the-role-of-sustainable-wood-value-chains/en

• Centre for Bioeconomy of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna: https://short.boku.ac.at/m53meo
   
• Flyer for download