From crisis to transformation: Exploring pathways for German forest policy

Abstract In this article, we address the intertwined climate and biodiversity crisis in German forests, explore positions in current policy debates and discuss possible ways forward. Our findings are based on a structured Policy Delphi dialogue with 64 experts from public and private forestry, research and conservation in Germany designed to identify commonalities and differences. Addressing forest conversion to create biodiverse, climate‐adapted and resilient forest ecosystems, hunting regulations, remuneration schemes and other topical issues, the experts' arguments and positions were articulated, refined and consolidated over three rounds: an online survey, semi‐structured interviews and the revision of a draft synthesis. Results show that the crisis has multiple interacting reasons: climate change impacts encounter outdated forest structures and management practices that are difficult to change in a political gridlock between polarised interest groups, compounded by high uncertainty about the future conditions of a system that takes decades to adapt. Experts agree on the need to convert forests and to support forest owners in this process, but they differ on the best approaches and instruments. We specifically discuss three proposals that emerged from the expert dialogue and reflect global sustainability debates: (1) enhanced cooperation through community forest management, for example, by cooperatives; (2) cross‐sector integration through regional and landscape approaches; and (3) broader engagement in terms of civic participation and education. In this context, we explore how polarised interest groups could engage in a more productive dialogue. Taken together, these pathways signal a departure towards more holistic and future‐proof policies in the German forest. Pathways to softening gridlock and piloting promising ideas for the German forest are relevant beyond the national context, and also beyond the forest sector. Our dialogue‐based approach and the identified pathways demonstrate how a critical environmental situation bears the potential for transformative change, with benefits for ecosystems and humans alike. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.