A €20m research project designed to demonstrate the sustainable development of the European forest products sector is now under way.
The four-year “Eforwood” initiative aims to develop a decision-support tool which can be used to evaluate the industry’s contribution to sustainable economic, environmental and social development.
The first phase, due to finish by the end of 2006, involves the identification of simplified wood chains which can serve as a base from which to develop the tool.
The second phase, to start later this year, involves an assessment of a prototype tool with stakeholders and extending the work to build up regional wood chains, which will be selected in agreement with the European Commission.
Professor Kaj Rosen of project co-ordinator Skogforsk, the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden, said he was pleased to report high levels of activity in Eforwood consortium, which consists of 38 partner organisations in 21 countries.
The project, which is backed by €13m of EU funding, will cover the whole European forestry-wood value chain, from forestry, industrial manufacturing and consumption to recycling of materials and products.
