Forestry program Västra Götaland

Forests are at the heart of the transition to a sustainable society. It is an important source of jobs and has a key role in mitigating climate change to achieve a fossil-free future.

In 2018, Sweden adopted its national forest program. The background is that forests are an important source of jobs and entrepreneurship, especially in and near rural areas. Forests also play a key role in limiting and managing climate change, for example by replacing fossil materials and fuels.

Against the background of the national program, the Västra Götaland Forest Program has been developed with the same vision as at national level.

The Västra Götaland program brings together stakeholders in the forest bioeconomy to stimulate sustainable development and growth in the forest sector. The aim is to translate the potential of Västra Götaland's forests into concrete and smart solutions to current and future challenges.

These include, for example, regional environmental goals and goals and ambitions at national and international level. One example of this is Agenda 2030.

The Västra Götaland forest program has thirteen selected target areas, divided into four focus areas to fulfill.

• Forests - Varied forests with high growth and biodiversity
• Innovations - Value chains, processing and research
• Business - Business development in rural areas
• People - Skills supply, gender equality and attractiveness