Work

Promoting climate policy integration in privately owned forests: How to foster policy acceptance?

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Forests play a central role in European climate policy due to the LULUCF Regulation which requires Member States to maintain their carbon sinks. In several European countries, declining carbon sinks are jeopardising climate commitments to the EU. This underscores the need to reassess national forest management practices and explore new approaches to climate action in forestry. Policy integration refers to the alignment of traditionally separate policy domains—such as forest and climate policy—by bridging institutional silos and fostering coordinated governance. In practice, this involves incorporating climate change mitigation and adaptation goals into national forest policies through targeted instruments. This study examines forest owners’ acceptance of novel economic policy instruments aimed at enhancing carbon sequestration and storage in Finland, where 60% of forests are privately owned and thus the outcome of policy integration depends heavily on policy acceptance among forest owners. Based on a nationwide 2023 survey (n=2,137), we identify groups of both critics and supporters of climate policy integration. Specific choices in the policy design, especially risk management for potential forest damage, could foster policy acceptance. In addition, general information guidance and negotiation of knowledge disagreements are key to building mutual trust and understanding. These findings emphasise the importance of considering policy acceptance to promote better policy integration outcomes and offer insights relevant for various policy contexts and domains governed via voluntary instruments.

Source: Forest Policy and Economics

DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2026.103856

Authors: Samuli Pitzén, Suvi Huttunen, Annika Lonkila, Iikka Oinonen, Emmi Haltia, Jussi Leppänen

Institutions: Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland

Language: English

Topic: Forest Management and Policy

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,370