Slow growing forests management for Climate Change Mitigation

Introduction

The establishment of emission trading systems has promoted ambitious GHG reductions by creating economic incentives to reduce CO2 emissions from many activities. Outside this control system are the diffuse sectors, less intensive in energy use (residential, transport, waste, agriculture, fluorinated gases, and other industries) but responsible for around 40% of EU GHG emissions.

Regulatory Framework

Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council shows the interest of the EU in promoting the reduction of emissions from these sectors. To do this, it is necessary to develop regulatory and operational frameworks at the National or Regional level that channel the compensation interest of these sectors towards actions capable of sequestering additional carbon to that fixed by the natural environment.

Project Overview

LIFE CO2RK develops a battery of integrated actions in 3 Member States, at national and regional levels, with different starting points in terms of political, legal, and operational maturity. The goal is to complete the design and development of:

1. Legal tools
2. Administrative tools
3. Financial tools
4. Technical tools

These tools will allow the certification and registration of the carbon sequestered by forest management practices, enable its exchange in compensation, and channel investments from diffuse sectors in exchange for offset carbon.

Financial Flow and Ecosystem Impact

This private financial flow can be essential for sustaining the Phagaceae forests in the EU, which, due to their slow growth, are not being used in CO2 capture policies. Despite this, scientific evidence ensures that the complex ecosystems they generate have a high capacity for CO2 fixation.

Implementation and Replication

The project will be developed in Cork Oak and replicated in Beech forests, whose products do not emit CO2 but fix it for a long useful life (cork in industries, wood in construction).

Broader Implications

The results can be extrapolated to a family with a large distribution throughout the EU, in complementary habitats in the Natura2000 Net, with a great impact on biodiversity and socio-economy.