“Sweden and Finland Falling Short in Protecting Old-Growth Forests: WWF Report”
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has released a new report highlighting the lack of effort by Sweden and Finland in protecting their old-growth and primary forests. The report, titled “Primary and Old-Growth Forests at Risk in Finland and Sweden,” points out that both countries are not meeting their pledges under the European Union’s Green Deal and Biodiversity Strategy.
According to the report, Sweden and Finland are allowing logging in forests that should be protected, putting unique ecosystems at risk. Despite the EU’s objective to strictly protect old-growth and primary forests in Europe, both countries are exploiting loopholes and allowing the destruction of forests with high conservation value.
Forests play a crucial role in biodiversity, climate stability, and long-term ecological health. They are also essential for achieving Europe’s biodiversity and climate goals. However, the Swedish and Finnish governments are failing to protect these forests, leading to the loss of thousands of acres of valuable forest land every year.
The protection of these forests is not only important for environmental reasons but also for maintaining the political credibility of the EU. WWF has called for a moratorium on logging in delineated old-growth and primary forests in Sweden and urged the European Commission to track the implementation of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy.
Despite criticism from environmental organizations, Sweden’s rural affairs minister, Peter Kullgren, defended the country’s forest protection efforts, stating that Sweden is a leader in forest protection. However, a report from the Swedish Species Information Centre at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) highlighted that Sweden’s forests are not in the same shape as they were in 1950, with much of the forest biodiversity at risk.
WWF’s report includes recommendations such as respecting the rights of the Indigenous Samà People and imposing a moratorium on logging in old-growth and primary forests. The organization also called for action from decision-makers to ensure the protection of Europe’s last great forests before it’s too late.
The consequences of inaction could be severe, undermining Europe’s environmental goals and eroding public trust in national governments and the EU. WWF emphasized the importance of putting words into action and protecting these forests for the sake of biodiversity, climate stability, and long-term ecological health.