Overview
Forests of the Alpine region are facing serious threats from abandonment, climate change, and territorial degradation, that cause a decline in natural resources and in the essential services that forests provide. This, in turn, leads to high maintenance costs, making it difficult for both public and private owners to sustainably manage them.
Forest EcoValue comes to the rescue by proposing sustainable business models that focus on circular, green, and bio value chains in areas such as energy, construction, chemistry/pharmaceuticals, food, and recreation.
By bringing together the efforts of the public and private sectors, along with the participation of citizens, Forest EcoValue aims to create market frameworks and payment systems for the forest ecosystem services. Through these sustainable business models, Forest EcoValue can generate green businesses and job opportunities, thus boosting the economy in the entire region.
Factsheet
- 2021 – 2027
- Carbon neutral and resource sensitive Alpine region
- SO 2.2 - Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy
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- AG2 Economic development
- AG6 Natural resources
- AG8 Risk governance
- 11/2022
- 10/2025
- 2.476.073 EUR
- 1.857.055 EUR
Description
The proposed solutions will be tested in a pilot action consisting of a network of 5 Living Labs in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.
The project will focus on a subset of ecosystem services from the following categories: provisioning (e.g. biomass, raw materials, chemicals); regulating & maintenance (e.g. biodiversity, natural risk reduction, CO2 absorption); cultural (e.g. recreation, habitat experience, health).
On the selected subset of forest ecosystem services (FES) the project will:
- Map and analyze the delivery capacity of forests
- Identify and estimate economic potential, define business models, and create market frameworks
- Test the models and tools in the Living Labs, involving local stakeholders
- Drive a consultation on the need for innovative policies to support forest maintenance, forest ecosystem services markets, and green value chains
- Provide transferable methodologies, tools, models, and policy proposals
- Implement training and capacity-building activities.
Partners
- Lead partner
- Italy
- Piemonte (ITC1)
- Torino
- Susanna LONGO
- susanna.longo@finpiemonte.it
- Italy
- Lombardia (ITC4)
- Milano
- Mita Lapi
- mita.lapi@flanet.org
- France
- Rhône-Alpes (FRK2)
- Saint Martin d'Hères
- FREDERIC BERGER
- frederic.berger@inrae.fr
- Slovenia
- Zahodna Slovenija (SI04)
- Ljubljana
- Aleš Poljanec
- Ales.Poljanec@zgs.si
- Germany
- Oberbayern (DE21)
- München
- Stefan Marzelli
- stefan.marzelli@ifuplan.de
- Italy
- Lombardia (ITC4)
- Milano
- Ilaria Re
- Ilaria.re@italbiotec.it
- Austria
- Steiermark (AT22)
- Graz
- Tobias Stern
- Tobias.stern@uni-graz.at
- France
- Auvergne (FRK1)
- Lempdes
- Sylvain OUGIER
- sylvain.ougier@cnpf.fr
- France
- Rhône-Alpes (FRK2)
- Lyon
- Frédérique ZELMIRE
- Frederique.zelmire@onf.fr
- Austria
- Steiermark (AT22)
- Graz
- Kilian Silberschneider
- silberschneider@holzcluster-steiermark.at
- 45.06895977.6830865
- 45.4892079.1936874
- 45.18366835.75448
- 46.052427814.4800014
- 48.15105211.5788014
- 45.51485269.2122145
- 47.078051415.45053284111076
- 45.77627923.1724467
- 45.75917394.8448825
- 47.064465215.4078796
Outcomes
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Transnational network of 5 Living Labs as testing sites for the application of D1.3.2 to set-up market frameworks and payment schemes on the selected subset of FES. Main responsible PP6 + All PPs
Apply D1.3.2 in one LL per country on selected FES. Ensure testing and support/tools to stakeholders willing to set-up a FES market. The LLs' network will address different forests’ stands and dynamic state (species, dendrometric parameters) and associated forest management (close to nature or not, by skider/cable…). Local analysis is combined with transnational collaboration, data sharing and jointly elaborated proposals for FES markets/payment schemes. One responsible PP per LL: 1 3 5 6 9 -
Transnational guidelines and tools for the establishment of public-private markets for the selected FES in alpine communities. Main responsible PP2 + PP8. All PPs strongly involved.
Through the pilot testing D 1.3.2 is revised and completed. O 2.2 consists of practical and transferable guidelines and tools applicable in different local/regional contexts for setting up the process to assess FES and establish and manage public-private payment schemes. The multi-lingual guidelines will highlight main steps and possible options, the most appropriate solutions for different contexts, the applicable methodologies and tools, as well as governance aspects. -
Regional feasibility assessment for the LL territories based on the results of the pilot experience Main Responsible PP6. All PPs strongly involved.
Analysis and synthesis from the pilot action and elaboration of a feasibility assessment for each LL territory, including recommendations for the further effective set-up and management of public and/or private payment schemes based on indigenous forest resources and their ecosystem services. O 2.3 is intended to be promoted toward local/regional policy makers and other relevant private/public decision makers who can play a crucial role in the set-up of FES markets in such territories. -
Regional Roadmaps (RRs): based on the LLs testing results they set the next steps for implementation in LLs areas. Are acknowledged by stakeholders to ensure engagement. Main resp. PP6 + LLs PPs resp.
RRs consider the results of the testing experience in each LLs. They are co-drafted with local stakeholders in a guided participative process (led by PPs responsible for LLs). RRs identify next steps for implementation and are adopted (signed) by key stakeholders at the end of the pilot, as demonstration of commitment to play a role in ensuring continuity and further steps. Target: One RR per LL signed by at least one stakeholder with a decisive role, from inside or outside the partnership. -
POLICY MEMO on improvements to enable/facilitate the development of FES markets, payment schemes and forest-based value chains in the Alpine Region. Responsible > PP4 Major support from PP2
Memorandum agreed among the involved policy makers from PPs regions/countries and beyond, with conclusions on policy actions and regulatory adaptation for the set-up of FES market in the Alpine region. It results from the inputs collected in the policy fora and the policy dialogue process that will also involve representative from Target groups 14, 18, 19. It takes advantage of needs detected in WP1, WP2 and pilot action. Aimed to Alpine Region policy makers (target groups 1, 2, 3, 4). -
Online Training Modules Main responsible PP7. Support from PP8.
The content elaborated for the Summer Schools (D 3.2.2) will be made available to the wider audience by publishing the training modules on the project website. They will provide clarifications and examples for the application off the proposed methodologies, tools and business models (O 2.2) as well as indications on policy/governance barriers and enabling factors. Addressed to TG 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 16
Pilots
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Italian Living Lab
The Italian Living Lab is nestled in the heart of Piedmont, Northern Italy, encompassing a landscape adorned by various woodlands, such as chestnut, beech, scots pine, mountain pine, and larch, covering 61% of the land. This environment serves as an ideal testing ground for validating market models proposed by ForestEcoValue within the Italian territory. The region offers a diverse ecosystem that sustains vital ecosystem services like biodiversity preservation, CO2 sequestration, and the promotion of ecotourism. Moreover, it presents diverse market opportunities, including local markets for producers and a growing woodchips market with untapped potential. Fostering involvement from local stakeholders is deeply ingrained in the essence of the territory, achieved through a participatory process involving citizens, farmers, suppliers, educators, volunteers, and other stakeholders in agriculture and food supply chains. This collaborative approach amplifies the efficacy of the Living Lab's endeavors within the region. -
Slovenian Living Lab - Tržič Municipality
Located in the northern part of Slovenia lies one of the pilot areas of ForestEcoValue, the Municipality of Tržič. With forests accounting for 72.7% of the landscape, Tržič offers a diverse terrain, from mountains in the north to hills and flatlands in the south.
Tržič is a region rich in opportunities waiting to be explored. With a strong tradition of close-to-nature forest management and abundant natural resources, the municipality provides a promising environment for sustainable forestry practices.
Additionally, a substantial portion of Tržič's forests serves a crucial protective role, mitigating natural hazards and ensuring community safety. Yet, Tržič also embraces leisure and tourism, witnessing a growing interest in recreational activities over recent years.
From timber and biomass production to carbon sequestration and natural hazard mitigation, these forests offer valuable ecosystem services benefiting both local residents and the environment.
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German Living Lab - Bad-Tölz - Wolfratshausen and Miesbach
The German Living Lab is located in the districts of Bad-Tölz - Wolfratshausen and Miesbach and is forested with a share of 53 % of the total area. The main tree species in the area is spruce, with a share of 60 %, followed by beech with 15 %, hardwood with 11 % and fir with 6 %. The forest landscape is mainly characterized by mixed forests. Around 41% of the forest is in state ownership, around 4% belongs to the municipalities and over half of the forest is privately owned (55%). The forest in the Living Lab plays a major role as a supplier of raw materials and serves as an important side income for many farms (Amt für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten Holzkirchen 2024). The Living Lab lays in popular hiking areas like Isarwinkel or the Tegernsee valley and is criss-crossed by many hiking trails and alpine pastures. In addition to timber production and the recreational benefits of the forest, ecosystem services such as CO2 storage, provision of clean drinking water, natural hazard protection or the provision of habitats for wild animals and plants are of particular importance.
Source: Amt für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten Holzkirchen (2024): Unser Wald im Amtsbereich, https://www.aelf-hk.bayern.de/forstwirtschaft/wald/093202/index.php (Last retrieved: 02.04.2024).
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French Living Lab - Grand Annecy Agglomération
Grand Annecy Agglomération, situated in the Haute-Savoie department at the frontier of France and Switzerland, comprises 34 cities with 250,000 inhabitants. Nestled in the Alps, it boasts medium-altitude mountains and the picturesque Lake of Annecy, surrounded by forests covering 31% of the area. Popular for year-round living and tourism, it attracts 2 million tourists annually, offering activities like hiking Mont Veyrier, skiing Mont Semnoz, and enjoying the old city center. The region's forests support recreational activities and are crucial for tourism and inhabitants' outdoor pursuits. Stakeholders, including tourism-related businesses and companies benefitting from the lifestyle, support forest management. The area relies on the lake and forest springs for water, with protection forests playing a vital role in mitigating risks like rock falls. Biodiversity protection zones, such as Parc Naturel des Bauges and Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Roc de Cher, safeguard various habitats. Forests in Grand Annecy comprise mixed and coniferous stands, facing challenges from climate change, notably with bark beetle attacks on spruce trees. Among these, 75% are private forest while 25% are public forests. The political agenda includes meetings on forests, trees, and wood, focusing on vulnerability and resource management. Initiatives like "250,000 arbres" aim to plant a tree per inhabitant, while the "Plan Sylvicole de Territoire" with Sylvactes promotes forestry actions. -
Austrian Living Lab - Styria region
The Austrian Living Lab encompasses the entire state of Styria, Austria's most forest-rich state, boasting a forestation rate of 61.4%. Due to the heterogeneous geography ranging from floodplains and wine regions at 200m above sea level to high alpine areas up to 3,000m, the forest composition is very diverse. This includes typical riparian forests in the south with poplar, willow, alder, and oak, to lower acid soil areas with beech-oak forests with fir and sweet chestnut in the east, to spruce, beech, pine, fir, ash, sycamore in the mid-altitudes, and up to larch and stone pine in the high mountains. 65% of the forest is coniferous, 27% is mixed forest, and 8% is deciduous forest. 17.2% of the forest area is a protection forest. Thanks to legally mandated reforestation and sustainable usage, the forest area is increasing, thus acting as an important CO2 sink. Styria is unique in Austria for its "dynamic forest typification," which allows even laypeople to select climate-adapted tree species, thereby enhancing stability as well as biodiversity. 22.9% of Styria's forests are owned by large forest owners (more than 1000 ha), 55% are owned by small forest owners (less than 200 ha), and ca. 9% is owned by the Austrian Federal Forests Corporation. The forest is responsible for 1/6 of Styria's economic output. Styrian forests provide a range of important ecosystem services, from timber provision and CO2 sequestration to protection, habitat maintenance, and recreation functions.
