Germany wants to protect forests against rising temperatures, environmentalists critical of draft law
RND
A draft law from Germany’s agriculture minister, Cem Özdemir, to protect the country’s forests against the effects of climate change has come under criticism for being significantly watered down compared to the original proposal, media house RND reported. An amendment to the Forest Act, which dates back 50 years, was promised as part of the government's coalition agreement as climate change had not played a role when it was drafted. However, following protests from forest owners and others, the initial amendments were watered down, according to RND.
"German forests are not doing well. Only one in five trees are completely healthy," a ministry spokesperson said. "In order to preserve our forests and be able to use them in the long term, we need to make them more resilient to the climate crisis.” However, forests were not only important as ecosystems, but for recreational and economical purposes too, the ministry highlighted.
Environmental organisations were critical of the draft for being too soft. The illegal felling of trees, for example, would no longer be considered a criminal offence, unlike in the initial draft. The responsibility of deciding what type of tree species is allowed where was also left to the federal states. "Instead of creating clear, standardised national rules for the responsible management of our forests, the draft is primarily based on the principle of 'everything can, nothing must'," Sven Selbert, head of environmental group NABU, said.
The impact of changing climate conditions on Germany's forests has become an increasing cause for concern in the past years, with forests damaged heavily by droughts, bark beetle infestations, storms and forest fires. A string of exceptionally hot and dry summers has inflicted significant damage on woodlands. Forests act as natural carbon sinks, playing an important role in achieving climate targets by balancing out emissions that are hard to avoid. Sustainable forest management is also indispensable for healthy ecosystems, balanced groundwater levels and erosion control.
