Detailed Description of Our Project Areas

Germany’s forests cover about one third of the country’s land area and are important carbon sinks, habitats for numerous species and popular recreation areas. However, they are under considerable pressure from climate change, as the drought years 2018–2020 with massive forest damage have shown. Transforming German forestry toward climate-resilient, close-to-nature mixed forests is one of the greatest challenges but also offers huge opportunities for climate protection and biodiversity.

German forests have been heavily shaped by centuries of management. Many stands are monocultures, often of spruce or pine, which are particularly vulnerable to drought, storms and pests such as the bark beetle. Climate change exacerbates these problems through more frequent extreme-weather events, longer dry periods and milder winters that favour pests.

Our German projects serve as model sites for climate-friendly forest management and efficient CO₂ sequestration:

• Conversion to climate-resilient mixed forests:  We systematically transform vulnerable monocultures into species-rich, well-structured mixed forests that are better adapted to future climate conditions. To do so, we rely on a diverse mix of drought-tolerant tree species such as oak (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), linden (Tilia cordata) and various wild fruit trees.
• Integration of climate trees:  We deliberately introduce fast-growing species such as Paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa), known as a “climate tree,” which reaches harvest maturity in just 5–7 years while binding up to ten times more CO₂ than conventional species. These trees act as especially efficient carbon sinks while the long-term forest transformation progresses.
• Continuous-cover forestry principle:  We apply the continuous-cover forestry principle with single-tree harvesting instead of clear-cutting, ensuring uninterrupted carbon storage. This gentle management method keeps the forest ecosystem intact at all times, which is advantageous both ecologically and climatically.
• Modern agroforestry systems:  On agricultural land we establish innovative agroforestry systems that combine trees with agricultural crops. These systems offer multiple advantages: they increase CO₂ sequestration, boost biodiversity, improve soil quality, reduce erosion and diversify agricultural income streams.
• Research and innovation:  Our German projects also serve as living laboratories where we test and scientifically monitor innovative approaches to enhance CO₂ capture and improve forest resilience. The insights gained feed into the optimisation of our global project portfolio.