Is there evidence of leakage?
The current level of forest harvesting in several parts of the world is raising increasing concerns from the perspective of the environment. For instance, the scale of logging in southern Finland threatens biodiversity and weakens the forests’ capacity to store carbon, making it more difficult to meet national and international climate targets. Unlike carbon sequestration, biodiversity is inherently local and often irreplaceable.
In discussions about reducing harvesting, a common counterargument is the risk of leakage—that is, reduced logging in Finland might simply lead to increased forest use elsewhere, potentially in regions with weaker environmental safeguards and more biodiverse forests.
In this webinar, we examine recent research findings on the topic and discuss whether there is empirical evidence or credible examples of such leakage occurring. Finally, we consider what kinds of economic and ecological trade-offs forest policy must navigate in a situation where no option is entirely without drawbacks.
About the event
The event agenda is as follows:
- Mikko Mönkkönen – Finland’s Logging Levels Are Unsustainable
- Maarit Kallio – Recent Research on Logging Leakage
- Fulvio di Fulvio – Economic Impacts in Europe, Logging Volumes, and Effects Beyond Europe
- Elina Warsta, Senior Manager, Global Forest Affairs, UPM
- Questions and Discussion – 30 minutes
- Teppo Hujala – Where Do We Go From Here?
The event is organized by the multi-disciplinary research project Forests in systemic transition (ForTran), and it is an official side event.
