Point of View | Kai Lintunen: Forest-Based Bioeconomy Solutions Take Centre Stage at Vienna Bioeconomy Summit
Forest-based bioeconomy solutions are increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of climate resilience, economic renewal and nature-positive development.
At the Global Summit on Advancing Sustainable Forest-based Bioeconomy Approaches (23–25 February 2026) in Vienna, nearly 500 participants from over 60 countries and 100 organizations – including the presence of EU Commissioner for environment Jessika Roswall – explored how sustainable forest management, innovation and wood-based solutions can deliver tangible climate, biodiversity and economic benefits.
The summit highlighted the need to scale up practical solutions: advanced wood construction, bio-based materials, circular design, innovation-friendly policy frameworks and stronger science–policy–business cooperation. Outcomes emphasized reinforced partnerships, improved financing mechanisms, clearer enabling frameworks and coordinated communication to accelerate forest-based bioeconomy globally.
Mr. Erno Järvinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser and Head of the Forests and Bioenergy Unit at Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, summarized: “The forest bioeconomy is not just about sustainable resource use — it is the cornerstone of a resilient and climate-smart future. By investing in forest-based innovation, we unlock economic opportunities, strengthen rural communities, and deliver nature-positive solutions that benefit both people and the environment.” His message captured the core ambition of the summit: positioning the forest bioeconomy as a strategic driver of climate-smart growth and long-term sustainability.
As co-convener alongside Austria, Australia, Japan, Türkiye, FAO, IUFRO and the UNFF Secretariat, Finland helped shape both the agenda and forward-looking outcomes feeding into upcoming international processes such as UNFF21 and COFO28.
A major highlight was leadership in forest communication. The European regional Forest Communicators Network (FCN), chaired by the Finnish Forest Association, organized a dedicated communication session under the global Grow the Solution initiative. The session addressed widespread misconceptions about sustainable forest management and wood use — recognizing that misunderstandings can erode public trust and slow climate action. Delegates welcomed the session and emphasized that coordinated, science-based communication is a strategic enabler of sustainable forest management and forest bioeconomy. The Grow the Solution initiative was highly featured throughout the summit across videos, posters, podium backdrops and presentation materials, reinforcing its role as a unifying narrative linking science, policy and innovation.
The newly launched “Wood You?” video — finalized ahead of COP30 with strong FCN involvement — was showcased during the opening, highlighting the climate-smart and nature-positive potential of sustainable wood use. The strong engagement confirmed that communication should be key to scaling up global action.
The Vienna Summit clearly demonstrated that communication drives policy impact. Without clear, coordinated cooperation in international communication, sustainable forest management cannot realize its full potential within global climate and biodiversity processes. By placing communication at the heart of the agenda, Finland positioned itself as both a leader in forest-based bioeconomy solutions and a global frontrunner in strategic forest communication.
This is part of the importance of shared narratives and coordinated messaging across all actors in the forest-based bioeconomy sector. The session concluded with a call to actively support and amplify Grow the Solution as a key tool for strengthening public understanding of – and trust in – sustainable forest-based solutions. Countries like Austria, Canada, Germany and United Kingdom underlined the importance for Grow the Solution to serve as a common platform for all countries in developing, aligning, and amplifying shared messages.
Finland also presented its New Wood innovation exhibition, demonstrating advanced bio-based materials and circular design solutions.
The Vienna summit was a high-level Country- and Organization-Led Initiative (COLI) supporting the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and FAO’s Committee on Forestry (COFO). COLIs are voluntary platforms under the UNFF designed to advance sustainable forest management through practical dialogue, knowledge exchange and cooperation beyond formal negotiations. It brought together communication, science, policy, finance and business.