UPM Pulp Matters 2/2023

CUT T ING EDGE

70% 90% EUR 20 bn of area covered by forest in Finland and Sweden of Finnish forests certified generated annually by forest industry in Finnish GDP

instance, to reduced forest growth and a decrease of carbon sinks,” Asikainen points out. The majority of trees in Canada are coniferous, with less than 30% being mixed forests with broad-leaved trees. This may, for example, cause the forests to be more susceptible to damage from pests. Extensive forest fires have also impacted Canada. According to 2020 statistics, fires and pests destroyed over 5% of commercial forests in the country. Widespread fires have also affected Canada’s neighbour. The US boasts a diverse variety of forest ecosystems, with coniferous forests located in the northern parts of the country. The forest industry contributes over 5% of US GDP. In the past two decades fires have devastated vast forested areas, at worst affecting over 4 million hectares of forests. In September 2023 the US Government allocated a new USD 20 million budget for researching technologies to restore forests and prevent fires. Like Finland, Sweden places a high priority on sustainable forestry. Actions related to forest management and laws governing the renewal of forests are similar to those in Finland, differing only in the larger scale of operations. Sweden has also successfully battled forest fires, which affected up to 2% of the country’s forests during

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PUL P MAT TERS 02/2023