Sustainable solutions within shifting societal paradigms and a changing climate – Informed decisions based on science and stakeholder priorities (SPARC)

Critical voices increasingly question just how strong a role the forest can take in the climate change transition while nevertheless sustaining its many other values; the provision of many of which, are already strained.

The emerging potential conflict between users greatly complicate conditions for decision-makers trying to choose prioritized pathways for forest use.

In addition, knowledge gaps persist in terms of the impacts of climate change on outcomes relevant to balancing trade-offs, and regarding the most effective policy instruments to achieving sustainable solutions.The overall aim of SPARC is to develop science-based sustainable solutions for reconciling conflicting demands placed on the forest landscape, within changing climate and societal paradigms.

We have assembled a multidisciplinary research group that will develop capacity to quantify the direct and indirect effects of climate change in long-term assessments of forest management affecting economic, ecological and social sustainability.

We will examine trade-offs between different sustainability dimensions, and together with stakeholders, identify compromise solutions and policy measures for resolving conflicts between climate change mitigation, biodiversity and the production of ecosystem services.

Thanks to SPARC, decision makers will be able to make informed decisions that facilitate the climate change transition in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the sustained delivery of important forest values.