Alpine regions expand support for sustainable forestry and timber construction

Researchers and regional governments are implementing new strategies to promote sustainable forest use and timber construction in Alpine regions.

A study by the Teaming up 4 Forests (TU4F) platform, founded by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and Mondi, highlights the Bregenzerwald in Austria as a positive example of balancing diverse forest requirements. The research emphasizes that biodiversity must be treated as more than just an asset, especially as European forests face climate-driven challenges such as rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather events.

In South Tyrol, the regional government has doubled the annual funding for the timber construction fund to 2.4 million euros. This initiative, proposed by Forestry Councilor Luis Walcher, expands eligibility to include private legal entities and non-profit rental housing, moving beyond just public buildings. The goal is to increase the use of wood as a building material to facilitate long-term carbon storage and replace more CO2-intensive materials. To qualify, projects must predominantly use certified wood from sustainably managed forests within a 200-kilometer radius.