Sweden and Finland are lobbying for relaxed emissions targets because of lower levels of tree growth in their countries, reports Arctic Today.

The two nations say they could suffer “dire” economic consequences if they are forced to harvest less forest for wood products in order to meet their EU-mandated climate targets.

Sweden and Finland have been tasked with increasing the amount of CO₂ bound up by forests as part of the European Union’s plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

But both countries say they are on track to miss the EU’s Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) targets for the period 2021-2025 and 2026-30. Urging the EU to take a “flexible” approach to compliance, they say climate change has slowed tree growth and the war in Ukraine has increased demand.

“The EU’s current framework for forest use… is a major problem and, if not revised, would lead to unreasonable and unjustified restrictions on Swedish forestry,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on X on September 15. “To in practice severely restrict large parts of Nordic forestry is the wrong path to take.”

Forests cover around 70% of Finland and Sweden. Wood products make up more than 10% of Sweden’s exports and almost 20% of Finland’s. More than 200,000 people work in the sector.