The Charta für Holz 2.0 is a German national initiative that seeks to strengthen the climate‑protective contribution of sustainably managed forests, to enhance the competitiveness of the forest and wood cluster, and to promote the efficient use of forest resources. Since mid‑2017, roughly one hundred experts from industry, academia and public administration have worked within six action fields—ranging from timber construction in urban and rural areas to the bio‑economy potential of wood, material and energy efficiency, forest resource management, the forest and wood cluster itself, and the societal role of forests and wood. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) launched the dialogue process, and the Thünen Institute has been tasked with evaluating the progress of the Charta. The Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) provides regular status reports on the work of the various task forces.
The 2022/2023 Kennzahlenbericht presents quantitative trends that inform the ongoing adjustment of the Charta’s priorities. In the area of resource efficiency, the volume of old wood (Altholz) available for reuse has risen markedly. From 2000 to 2010 the supply more than doubled, and between 2010 and 2020 it increased by 17 %. While the majority of this material was used for energy generation until 2010, the share of material‑based utilisation grew by two percentage points by 2020, reaching 4 % of the total old‑wood volume. In the same year, material‑based old‑wood accounted for 12 % of the total raw‑wood input to the wood‑based product industry, indicating a modest but steady expansion of circular use pathways. These figures underscore the potential for further improvements in the multi‑use of wood residues.
Innovation activity within the forest and wood sector is another key performance indicator. In 2021, 58 % of companies in the paper, furniture and wood‑processing industries introduced product or process innovations. The share of revenue allocated to innovation spending was 1.4 %, slightly below the 1.5 % observed in 2019, and well below the overall German average. Process innovations yielded cost savings of 2.1 % of unit costs, a decline of 0.2 percentage points relative to 2019. Product and market‑new innovations, however, continued to decline in revenue contribution, falling from 8.1 % in 2021 to 0.6 % for market‑new items. These metrics illustrate that while the sector remains active in incremental improvements, breakthrough innovations are still limited.
The report also highlights the role of the forest and wood cluster in value creation. Gross value added, sales, and employment figures for the cluster are tracked, as are vacancies in skilled positions. The cluster’s performance is compared to the broader German economy, revealing that while the proportion of innovators is similar, other innovation metrics—such as innovation intensity and success rates—are lower in the forest and wood sector. This gap points to opportunities for targeted support and knowledge transfer.
The Charta’s evaluation framework aligns all indicators with its three core goals—climate protection, value creation, and resource efficiency—allowing stakeholders to assess trade‑offs and synergies. The forthcoming 2022 federal forest inventory data, expected by the end of 2024, will further refine these analyses. Through the coordinated efforts of BMEL, the Thünen Institute, FNR, and the broader network of experts, the Charta für Holz 2.0 continues to guide Germany’s transition toward a more sustainable and competitive forest and wood economy.