The concept of sustainability is closely related to German forestry. The forest and wood cluster provide work for around 1.1 million people; the employees work in around 130.000 companies.

Storms, forest fires, bark beetle infestations and droughts have severely affected forests and require solutions. Sustainable forestry aims to preserve the ecological, economic and social value of our forests. However, setting aside land, as demanded by some environmentalists, is not very effective. It does not do justice to the protection of biodiversity or the potential of the forest as a carbon store. In addition, the demand for wood would be offset by imports.

Sustainable forest management therefore uses the multifunctionality of the forest and introduces measures to optimally adapt the forests to climate change. For the preservation of the ecosystem services and for the intensification of the climate and biodiversity protection, remuneration models are available for the forest owners. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has made initial proposals.

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