The idea of an ecological civilization reflects a profound shift in how development is viewed. It recognizes that the industrial model that powered global prosperity over the past two centuries has also pushed the Earth toward dangerous limits. Climate change, biodiversity loss and the destabilization of water cycles are no longer distant environmental concerns — they are intensifying constraints on long-term economic stability.

Responding to these challenges requires more than incremental environmental policies. It calls for rethinking the relationship between industrial development and the biosphere. The global forest economy offers a particularly important opportunity for such a transition.

Demand for timber and wood products continues to grow as construction, packaging and engineered biomaterials expand worldwide. China has become a central actor in this sector, both as a manufacturing powerhouse and as a leader in advanced wood-processing technologies. Yet parts of the global timber supply chain still depend on logging in primary forests, including those in Southeast Asia and Siberia.

These forests perform functions that extend far beyond the production of timber. Primary forests regulate atmospheric circulation and rainfall patterns, stabilize regional climates and sustain extraordinary biodiversity. Their ecological roles operate at continental scales and over long time horizons, making them essential components for the stability of the planet.

Protecting these remaining forests is therefore not only a conservation priority but also an investment in global resilience.

At the same time, technological progress in wood engineering has transformed the requirements of the timber industry. Modern materials such as laminated veneer lumber, cross-laminated timber and other composite products allow high-performance construction materials to be manufactured from relatively smaller trees grown in short cycles. The future of wood manufacturing no longer depends on harvesting large trees from ancient forests.

Instead, a new model is emerging: ecological silviculture established on degraded landscapes and previously cleared lands. Large areas contain extensive degraded lands where restoration and productive forestry can advance together. Mixed-species plantations and carefully designed agroforestry systems can produce timber in cycles of five to 20 years while restoring soils, stabilizing water cycles and supporting biodiversity recovery.

When linked to advanced wood-processing industries, these landscapes can form the foundation of a modern bioindustrial system: high-productivity ecological forestry feeding sophisticated manufacturing that produces structural materials and engineered wood products with high added value.

For China, supporting such a transition offers a strategic opportunity. The country has already demonstrated global leadership in sectors such as renewable energy and electric mobility. A similar leadership role could emerge in sustainable forest bioindustries — combining ecological restoration, advanced materials science and international cooperation.

Such a strategy would deliver multiple benefits. Remaining primary forests would be preserved as vital ecoclimatic infrastructure. Degraded landscapes across the Global South could be restored while generating sustainable economic activity. China could help set a new global standard for a forest-based bioeconomy consistent with the principles of an ecological civilization.

The next phase of development will not be defined simply by how much humanity produces, but by how intelligently production systems interact with the living Earth. Protecting primary forests while building a new generation of productive, restored forest landscapes offers a practical step toward that future.

The author is a retired researcher from Brazil's National Institute for Space Research and is now the scientific director of the nonprofit institute Biotic Pump Greening Group in Brazil.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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