Forests provide critical ecosystem services, including soil protection, water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. Forest resilience to climate change is crucial to sustaining these ecosystems. Here, we aim to review to what extent current forest legislation in Finland supports the adaptation of forests to climate change. We also reviewed non-binding legal documents such as forest strategies and government guidelines. Finnish forest laws addressed selection of genetic material for forest regeneration as well as the management of forest after abiotic damages. Climate change was not clearly mentioned in the laws. Current strategic documents assume that continuing existing forest management practices is sufficient to cope with climate change effects on forests. Overall, the present Finnish forest norms predominantly rely on a perception of low climate risk and business-as-usual management approach can sufficiently address the challenges posed by climate change. We strongly suggest that the Finnish forest norms need to adopt a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the potential risks of climate change and integrates adaptive strategies into forestry practices to enhance climate resilience.

This study explores the perspectives and adaptive strategies of forest stakeholders across five regions of Europe, North to South-Finland, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Greece-regarding climate change challenges in forestry. 129 stakeholders were surveyed, including forest owners, professionals, environmental NGOs, government representatives, and recreationists, who pointed at soil quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and timber production as the main concerns. Regional threats varied, with storms and pests prevailing in Finland, illegal logging in Lithuania, Romania and Serbia, and fires and unsustainable grazing in Greece. Proposed solutions emphasise active forest management, stakeholder engagement and policy reforms. While Finland and Serbia are optimistic about future forest resilience, Lithuania and Romania are neutral. Greece shows mixed reactions, mainly due to concerns about the political will to implement effective forest policy. The study highlights nuanced regional responses to climate-related forest challenges and the need for region-specific approaches to forest management and policy, with broader implications for environmental governance strategies.

Rural household energy consumption in China is shaped by the interplay of natural resource availability, regional economic conditions, policy frameworks and technological access, resulting in highly heterogeneous energy usage patterns. However, existing analyses often overlook pronounced regional heterogeneity in natural and socio‐economic conditions. This study examines energy consumption profiles and transition dynamics of rural households in central China, with a particular focus on Shaanxi province. Data were collected through a comprehensive field survey involving interviews with 594 rural households, complemented by field observations. The analysis explored energy source types, determinants of energy choices, and challenges related to energy access and sustainability. Spatial distribution and consumption trends were modelled using a kriging approach to provide a detailed picture of current patterns and scenario‐based transition tendencies. The findings reveal a continued reliance on traditional energy sources, such as biomass and coal, alongside a gradual shift towards cleaner alternatives, including electricity and biogas. Solar energy uptake was anticipated to expand, particularly in central Shaanxi, driven by favourable geographic conditions and targeted policies. Key factors influencing energy use included socio‐economic variables, geographic context and government interventions. Overall, rising rural incomes and enhanced policy support were likely to accelerate the adoption of modern energy technologies, such as solar and biogas, reducing dependence on labour‐intensive traditional biomass. The results underline the need for region‐specific strategies that incentivise the use of agricultural and forestry residues for bioenergy, while promoting renewable technologies to advance sustainable rural electrification and reduce carbon emissions.

Forests are increasingly affected by climate change, highlighting the necessity of adaptive management to sustain ecosystem services. Yet adaptation is complicated by the interplay between ecological and socioeconomic considerations. We used an informed questionnaire to survey a selected group of forest professionals across different European sites, focusing on how perceptions of climate and socioeconomic change drive adaptive management choices. Here we show that professionals broadly agree on the negative impacts of climate change, with drought emerging as the dominant high-risk factor, while perceived socioeconomic change reflects rising timber demand and prices alongside higher operational costs. Professionals rank species diversity, mixing broadleaf and conifer species, and assisted natural regeneration as the priority adaptive measures, yet anticipated timber price increases lead a quarter of respondents to favor maintaining or increasing conifer shares. Economic expectations can change adaptation choices, highlighting a tension between ecological resilience and socioeconomic priorities that forest policy needs to address.