Two of Sweden's largest forest companies have called on the European Union to revise its bioeconomy strategy to include a stronger commitment to expanding sustainable wood supply, warning that current policy signals risk undermining Europe's green transition goals.
In a joint statement published this week, the chief executives of SCA and Holmen argued that the EU Commission's updated bioeconomy strategy — released last November — underestimates both the economic weight of the wood-based sector and the primary biomass volumes needed to meet its own ambitions.
The two executives estimated that wood-based value chains account for around seven per cent of total EU economic value and support approximately 17 million jobs across the continent — figures they said the strategy fails to capture by focusing narrowly on upstream production.
The Commission's own figure of roughly €240 billion in added value and fewer than three million jobs, they argued, represents less than a quarter of the sector's true contribution.
The statement also took issue with the strategy's emphasis on reducing reliance on primary biomass in favour of recycling and secondary feedstocks.
While supporting circularity in principle, the pair contended that secondary materials alone cannot meet growing demand for renewable alternatives to fossil-based products, and that sustainably managed forests must be allowed — and encouraged — to increase their output.
They further called for a review of existing EU regulations, including those governing land use change and nature restoration, which they said have introduced supply-side restrictions inconsistent with the bloc's competitiveness and climate objectives.
Both companies cited Nordic forestry models as evidence that active forest management, conservation, and increased harvest volumes can be pursued simultaneously. Sweden and its neighbours have, over several decades, doubled sustainable wood yields while growing overall forest stocks, they noted.
The executives concluded that without a science-based commitment to expanding wood supply, the EU's bioeconomy ambitions would remain unrealised.
SCA, headquartered in Sundsvall, is Europe's largest private forest owner and reported net sales of 20 billion Swedish kronor in 2025. Holmen, listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, posted net sales of 22 billion Swedish kronor over the same period.
