Promoting climate policy integration in privately owned forests: How to foster policy acceptance?

Forests play a central role in European climate policy due to the LULUCF Regulation which brings forestry as contributing to national climate change mitigation targets. In several European countries, declining carbon sinks are jeopardising climate commitments to the EU. This underscores the need to reassess national forest management practices and explore new approaches to climate action in forestry. Policy integration generally refers to the incorporation of aims and concerns from one domain into another—such as from climate policy into forestry—by bridging institutional silos and fostering coordinated governance. In practice, this involves integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation goals into national forest policies through targeted instruments. This study examines forest owners' acceptance of novel economic policy instruments aimed at enhancing carbon sequestration and storage in Finland, where ca. 60% of forests are privately owned and thus the outcome of policy integration depends heavily on policy acceptance among forest owners. Based on a nationwide 2023 survey ( n = 2137), we identify groups of both critics and supporters of climate policy integration. Specific choices in the policy design, especially risk management for potential forest damage, could foster policy acceptance. In addition, general information guidance and negotiation of knowledge are key to building mutual trust and understanding. These findings emphasise the importance of considering policy acceptance to enable better policy integration outcomes and offer insights relevant for various policy contexts and domains governed via voluntary instruments.