Europe’s primary and old-growth forests – critical for climate regulation, biodiversity, and human well-being – face growing threats from climate change, intensive land use, and habitat loss and fragmentation. Protecting these forests means navigating a complex mix of environmental, social, and economic challenges. Forests are expected to provide natural resources, support local communities, and help meet climate goals, all amid rising ecological stress. Yet, key knowledge gaps remain, especially around how forests and species are changing under different climate and land use conditions. To address these challenges, there is a clear and urgent need for improved monitoring, stronger forecasting tools, and closer cooperation between science, policy, and practice.
Project objective
SafeNet’s main goal is to support the conservation of biodiversity and carbon-rich forest ecosystems across the European Union by addressing the risks posed by climate change and unsustainable land use. The project brings together cutting-edge science and stakeholder collaboration to co-develop practical, forward-looking strategies for forest conservation, restoration, and management. Through advanced monitoring, modelling, and scenario analysis, SafeNet will generate integrated knowledge and guidance to help policymakers and forest managers make informed decisions that balance ecological integrity with societal needs.
SafeNet will deliver a range of practical and science-based outcomes to support forest conservation and sustainable management across Europe.
IIASA contribution
The IBF and BEC teams are coordinating the WP4 “Socio-economically sustainable forest management and conservation”.
WP4 focuses on finding realistic and socially acceptable ways to manage and conserve forests in Europe. The team is exploring how forest policies can support biodiversity and climate goals while also meeting the growing demands for wood, climate mitigation, and other benefits that forests provide to society. This work involves identifying the social and economic conditions that will shape forest management in the coming decades.
The team will map out areas that are especially important for conservation and restoration, based on their value for biodiversity and carbon storage, and the pressures they face. They will also explore how to balance different goals, such as supporting the bioeconomy, protecting nature, and storing carbon. Finally, the team will assess how European forest policies might affect biodiversity beyond Europe’s borders.
The IBF and BEC teams are also contributing to WP1 “Co-creating innovative policies and conservation measures”, WP2 “Monitoring and mapping ecologically valuable & carbon-rich forests in Europe”, WP3 “Futures of European forests in a challenging climate”, and WP7 “Conservation options for primary, old growth and high-ecological forests in Europe”
Coordinator and Partners
The SafeNet consortium is led by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and comprises 14 partners with multi-disciplinary complementary expertise from across 11 countries (Finland, Hungary, Austria, Spain, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Romania, France and the United Kingdom).
Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Programme, Grant Agreement No. 101181981 (SafeNet). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, European Commission, DG Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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