FOREST

Research Pillar: Climate Action and Sustainability 

Project Name/Title/Acronym: Forest

Funding Body: Kinsella - TCD

Project Timeframe: September 2021 - September 2025

Key Output(s): Publications can be found here

Project Description:

People and nature are not separate - we are dependent on nature as our life support system. The systematic failure of economic, political and financial systems to take nature into account has resulted in climate and biodiversity crises. We are now seeking to transition away from highly carbon-dependent social and economic practices, towards sustainable practices, systems and behaviours that support the coexistence of flourishing human systems and natural environments. Tree planting has become widely seen as a panacea for solving the climate crisis. Furthermore, as a nature-based solution, it is viewed as beneficial for biodiversity, and is attracting investment from public and private actors.

This project, FOREST, will use the increase in forestry in Ireland as a model system to explore the challenges associated with addressing climate and biodiversity issues, and examine potential solutions through a multi-disciplinary lens. 

Aims, Objectives, Outputs and Outcomes:

Nature is relatively straightforward and the type of trees, where they are planted, and how quickly they grow, affect their real ecological, economic and societal sustainability credentials. It is likely that blended solutions, involving both nature and technology, are required, at different spatial and temporal scales. As civil society, businesses, financial institutions and governments increasingly demand action to address biodiversity and climate, it is essential to examine and question individual behaviour and choices, and the environmental benefits of actions implemented on the ground, and to model how they scale up to society level. Furthermore, a balance needs to be struck between top-down and bottom-up action to ensure buy-in and environmental benefit. The implications of nature-based and technological solutions thus need to be examined from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

A dead tree has a value reflected in the price at which it can be sold for construction or firewood, but a live tree has little or no financial value - despite its benefit for carbon capture, biodiversity habitat, and recreation. There are measures to promote environmentally sustainable economic activity (including the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, and mandatory non-financial reporting requirements). At the same time, environmental bodies and the financial sector are increasingly working together, with increased investment and issuing of Green Bonds. Forests are rapidly emerging as an important dimension of the government climate action plan to attain net zero carbon status by 2050. However, tackling climate change is not all about carbon - nature must be a part of the conversation. Furthermore, Ireland has no formal method of or experience in carbon offsetting. The social-cultural-economic-financial, technical and ecological implications of extending Ireland's forests networks with native species are under-explored.

While some actors and institutions will respond to financial incentives, there is widespread concern about a financialised system, which may neglect non-financial values. We often care deeply for things with little or no financial value e.g., the spiritual or sentimental value of forests. Current definitions of relative and absolute financial performance need to be redefined to include a comprehensive definition of environmental and societal risk and return. But it is not just about financial valuation of nature, we need individuals and society to 'value' nature more broadly. 

Thus, understanding of different perspectives on the values and benefits of nature in the widest sense, incorporating non-market and socio-cultural benefits of nature are key, particularly in terms of impacting on individual and collective action. 

Afforestation has consequences for environment, people, and economics, but is often only assessed through a single lens. Implementing the right action in the right place urgently requires a new kind of multi-disciplinary dynamic, and a way of integrating data measured on different scales. 

FOREST brings together research leaders across Botany, Economics, Engineering, Finance, Geography and Statistics to reimagine our relations with nature. FOREST will address challenges to society, nature and economies in an integrated way, develop and test innovative solutions to environmental crises, and deliver highly skilled graduates capable of breaking down silos and effecting truly sustainable activity across sectors.

• Sustainable and climate responsive communities through low or zero carbon energy systems (including established research programmes in solar and wind energy), sustainable materials and buildings, and the circular economy.
• Co-creation, collaboration and stakeholder engagement to bring the voice, needs and preferences of the community to the heart of the process

Engagement activities will be based around the three pillars of: collaboration; communication and dissemination; and impact, where PhD researchers and the FOREST supervisory team will have the knowledge and skills to ensure the widest impact of the research. Firstly, collaborative work will occur through project co-creation by PhD researchers and their supervisors and mentors, team building with other FOREST PhD researchers and building collegiality with E3 through the “Forest Fest” and other Kinsella Showcase events. Communication and dissemination methods and target groups are illustrated in Figure 6, which will use traditional methods such as peer reviewed journal publications and conferences along with social media and outreach events targeting the general public, policy makers and school children. A website will be set up containing relevant information (e.g. project summaries and objectives, seminar links, publications, presentations), and it will be linked to social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

FOREST results will also input into current TCD UG & PG courses taught by the FOREST team, for example in the new BSc in Environmental Science and Engineering, BAI/MAI Engineering, MSc Economic Policy, MSc Law and Finance, MSc Biodiversity and Conservation, MSc Environmental Engineering, MSc Sustainable Energy, and PG Diploma in Climate Action. The impact of our engagement activities will be measured through user analytics of our website and social media profiles, audience numbers and participation at events, number of publications and citations of results and feedback from students taking courses and attending outreach events.