SIMwood

Forests are a major natural resource, covering 159 million hectares or 37% of Europe's land area (Eurostat 2013). They have multiple ecological, economic and social functions - preserving diverse landscapes, ecosystems, natural cycles and biological diversity and providing a multitude of forest products, employment and services.

Forecasts for the coming decades predict an increasing demand for wood - wood energy plays a critical role in Europe’s future renewable energy supply and the achievement of climate protection objectives.

How can we ensure we meet this demand?

There is lots of unused wood potential in European forests. Most of this is 'locked' in forests that belong to an estimated 16 million private forest owners.

The SIMWOOD project aims to mobilise these owners, promote collaborative forest management and ensure sustainable forest functions.

Find out more about the project, its objectives and the project partners.