Mondi Group and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) have announced a three-year partnership that will seek to identify viable, science-based responses to climate-related threats to forests and forest-based industries.
The organisations realise that climate change requires a broad discussion among policymakers and stakeholders on how future forest landscapes could meet both the supply needs of the industry and the provision of multiple ecosystem services provided by forests. They agree that this broad discussion must be supported by the best available scientific knowledge to build resilient forests.
In light of this, the IUFRO-Mondi project, as a global partnership with a pan-European focus, aims to establish a science-business platform where both organisations will partner to address climate change challenges and identify ways forward for the wider forestry and business community to ensure a sustainable future.
The main focus of the partnership will include: think tank meetings that provide information on and access to the latest data on climate change and SDGs and identify options for response measures to mitigate risks; stakeholder dialogues to share and discuss findings of studies, and engage partners and public, private and civil society stakeholders to identify pathways and options for the way forward; scientific studies, workshops; and regular communications to facilitate best practice sharing.
Dirk Längin, group head of fibre sourcing at Mondi and co-chair of the IUFRO-Mondi Partnership Steering Group, comments: “Our partnership with IUFRO will allow us to actively collaborate with the scientific community in a structured way to address climate change challenges, gain broad access to research, and convert this into practical applications and improved operations.”
Alexander Buck, executive director of IUFRO and co-chair of the IUFRO-Mondi Partnership Steering Group, said: “IUFRO’s vision is to serve the needs of forest-related research and decision making worldwide. To be able to do so, it is essential for scientists to also effectively identify and address information requirements of business and industry to develop science-based solutions.
“Our partnership with Mondi is the outcome of continued cooperation since 2017 and underscores our strong commitment to the important role of forest-related business and science in advancing action towards sustainable development.”
