Sustainable wood value chains (IA)

Specific challenge: Forests play a vital role in Europe's economy, society and environment . Scenarios likely to keep the global warming below 2oC (Paris Agreement goal) would entail a substantial reduction of anthropogenic GHG emissions, through far-reaching changes to energy systems, land use and associated value chains. The second consumer-driven factor of GHG emissions is the construction sector (ca. 15%), implying a significant role for forest-based products. The forest-based sector can contribute to climate change mitigation through increasing sinks in and reducing emissions from living biomass, soils and wood products, and the substitution of non-renewable resources through the sustainable use of material and energy use of wood-based materials. The combined sink and substitution effects of wood value chains can provide a key mitigation option, provided that changes in fossil and biogenic carbon are taken into account in a comprehensive and balanced manner. Climate change is at the same time increasing forests' vulnerability. Several research projects  and COST Actions  launched in FP7 looked into the development of innovative, resource efficient wood-based products. While ensuring the sustainability of forest production systems under changing climate conditions remains a long-term objective for the sector, a key challenge now is to further develop and deploy the technological advancements of environmental and micro/macroclimate-friendly wood-based value chains on the ground.

Resilient forest systems (RIA)

Proposals shall aim at enhancing the adaptation of forest ecosystems (both primary and secondary) and forest production systems to the growing societal demands for forest products (i.e. wood and non-wood) and ecosystem services, considering trade-offs, climate change and vulnerability to natural disturbances (e.g. storms, droughts, pathogens, wild fires). Restoration of degraded ecosystems and natural expansion of forests, considering the long-term rural development, climate change mitigation objectives and biodiversity enhancement are also in the scope. Proposals should encompass a varied range of forest and site types and forest management systems representative of Europe's biogeographic regions. Proposals may cover multiple parts of the production cycle and related operations, from regeneration/planting to harvesting, should consider jointly supply (i.e. primary production) and demand (i.e. socio-economic) factors, and are expected to be interdisciplinary  in nature.

Both sub-topics (A and B) are suitable for INCO and SMEs participation, and are expected to integrate technology with SSH and RRI aspects.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of the order of EUR 10 million for sub-topic A and 5 million for sub-topic B would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected Impact: In the framework of SDG 9, 11, 13 and 15, the EU's Forest Strategy 2013, the Circular Economy Package 2015, the Paris Agreement 2015, the EU's Bioeconomy Strategy 2018, and the EU Action Plan for Nature, People and the Economy, proposals are expected to assess how they will contribute to:

• Increased resource and/or energy efficiency and added value and minimising pollution and the environmental footprint (emissions of GHG and air pollutants included) in the construction sector in the cities, by specific amounts/proportions to be specified in the proposals, by 2030 [sub-topic A];
• Enhanced connectivity of rural-urban areas and their overall contribution to a resilient, circular and competitive, forest-based bioeconomy, by 2025 [sub-topic A];
• Increased long-term resilience of forest production systems and associated value chains to climate/environmental change and societal demand [sub-topic B];
• Protection and restoration of biodiversity of primary and secondary forest[sub-topic B];
• Enhanced contribution of the forest-based sector to long-term climate change mitigation, adaptation and rural development objectives [sub-topics A & B];
• Also in the long-term, prompt a sizeable positive change to European landscapes and economies, by keeping the countryside green and serving to make cities greener, and increasing the share of both decent and green jobs [sub-topics A & B].
• Advance available solutions from TRL 4-5 to TRL 6-7 for sub-topic A and from TRL 3-4 to TRL 5 sub-topic B.

Identifier:  LC-RUR-11-2019-2020

Deadline:  22.01.2020 (1st stage)
                     8.09.2020 (2nd stage)