Forests, fibre, and the future of climate action on the agenda for COP 30

Winfried Muehling, marketing and communications director, Pro Carton, explains.

As the world looks to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, global leaders will gather to advance solutions for climate change. With forests and biodiversity at the centre of discussions on 17 and 18 November, the conference will highlight how nature based systems and the industries that rely on them can drive climate resilience and long term sustainability.

This year’s host nation, Brazil, places these discussions at the heart of the Amazon – the world’s largest tropical forest and a crucial carbon sink. The Amazon’s role in stabilising the global climate mirrors that of Europe’s managed forests, underlining our shared responsibility to preserve these vital ecosystems. Beyond its forests, Brazil’s coastal ecosystems, including the recently discovered coral reef system at the mouth of the Amazon River, remind us how interconnected land and ocean health truly are.

This commitment is further strengthened by the work of the Tropical Forever Forest Facility (TFFF), a global initiative supporting the transition toward a low carbon, circular bioeconomy. TFFF promotes sustainable forest management in tropical regions, strengthens local value creation, and supports innovation in fibre based products that replace fossil based alternatives. By connecting climate policy with practical, market driven solutions, TFFF demonstrates how forests can deliver both climate protection and socio-economic development. Its mission reinforces a clear message: thriving forests are not only natural carbon sinks, but they are also pillars of biodiversity, resilience, and long term prosperity. 

European forests absorb around 20% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, acting as vital carbon sinks while safeguarding ecosystems and biodiversity. They reduce the greenhouse effect, regulate water cycles, and provide livelihoods for millions. The COP30 action agenda – with its focus on halting deforestation by 2030, tripling renewable energy capacity, and phasing out fossil fuels – reflects a growing recognition that sustainable resource management is central to a just and effective climate transition.

The forest based sector exemplifies how economic activity and environmental protection can go hand in hand. By transforming renewable raw materials into innovative, low carbon products, the industry supports Europe’s ambitions for circularity and climate neutrality. Sustainable forestry ensures forests continue to grow, absorb carbon, and provide the materials needed for a bio based future.

At Pro Carton, we are proud to support sustainable forestry efforts that preserve forests for future generations. Our industry stands for European jobs, innovation, and value creation, demonstrating how circular, fibre based solutions can help turn climate ambition into lasting action. Building a resilient European bioeconomy.

Krzysztof Krajewski, chief sustainability and innovation officer, RDM Group, adds his thoughts.

As world leaders reconvene at COP30 turning their focus to forests, it is important to recognise that proven solutions to reduce pressure on forests are already operating at industrial scale. At RDM Group, we process over 1.5 million tonnes of recovered paper annually, keeping fibres circulating through more than 25 recycling loops without demanding virgin forest resources. The paper and cartonboard industry's high recycling rates demonstrate that when materials are designed for circularity and supported by proper collection infrastructure, we can significantly decrease the need for primary forest extraction.COP30 offers a pivotal moment for industry leaders to get together to connect forest conservation with circular economy action. By maximising the efficiency of fibres already in circulation, we can deliver both environmental protection and economic value, relieving pressure on the world's vital forest ecosystems while meeting growing packaging demands. The circular systems exist, now we must scale them further through strengthened demand for recycled materials and continued promotion of recycling and closing the loop by using recycled-content materials.