Sweden, Finland Call for EU Forestry Climate Targets to Be Revised Amid Economic Concerns

Sweden and Finland have jointly urged the European Union to revise its forestry-related climate targets, arguing that the current framework under its Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation could have “dire” economic consequences. The Nordic countries say they are unlikely to meet the CO₂ absorption increases required for 2021-25 and 2026-30, citing climate change slowing tree growth and the war in Ukraine driving up the demand for wood. In their joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the two nations described their specific CO₂ uptake targets—roughly 4 million tonnes annually for Sweden and 3 million for Finland by 2030—as unrealistic under current conditions. They noted that reduced logging to meet those goals would not only affect domestic forestry industries but could also have broader labour-market and export repercussions. Forests cover around 70% of both countries’ land areas, and their wood sectors are significant contributors to employment and exports—over 10% of Sweden’s exports and nearly 20% of Finland’s. While acknowledging the role of sustainable forestry in climate mitigation and in replacing fossil fuels, Sweden and Finland argue that the EU framework must better account for natural growth constraints and external shocks to enable realistic policy pathways.