Do wood products protect the climate? Public perception of the forestbasedsector’s contribution to climate change mitigation

摘要

There is broad consent in climate research that forests and harvested wood productsplay a crucial role in climate change mitigation. Several studies exist on the perceptionor communication of the forest-based sector, but the combination of both elementsis rare. We therefore examine the communication and the public perception ofthe forest-based sector regarding its contribution to climate change mitigation. Weinvestigate, I) what messages on climate change mitigation are communicated by theforest-based sector in Austria and Germany; and II) how these messages are perceivedby respondents with different socio-demographic backgrounds. First, the websitesof 16 Austrian and 25 German forest-based sector companies and associations were analyzed using a content analysis. Second, an online survey targeting German andAustrian residents was conducted to research public opinion, using items that reflectthe messages identified in the content analysis. In total, 194 responses were received.The communicated messages differ in the amount being communicated and in howthey are perceived. Regarding socio-demographic differences, respondents’ involvementin the forest-based sector, account for the majority of significant differences inthe perception of communicated messages, but not in all cases. The message "role offorests” is more comprehensively understood than the message "role of wood”, whichis more likely to be understood from people with sector involvement.