Slow growing forests management for Climate Change Mitigation (LIFE-2022-SAP-CLIMA-101114049)
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.
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. LIFE CO2RK develops a battery of integrated actions in 3 Member States, at national and regional level, with different starting points in terms of political, legal and operational maturity. The goal is to complete the design and development of legal, administrative, financial and technical tools that 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. This private financial flow that 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 that scientific evidence ensures that the complex ecosystems they generate have a high capacity for CO2 fixation. The project will be developed in cork oak (Quercus suber L.) forests and replicated in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests, whose products do not emit CO2 but fixes it for a long useful life (cork in industries, wood in construction). 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 in biodiversity and socio-economy.
General objectives
- Promote voluntary offsetting of emissions and its application to finance actions to recover high-value natural areas.
- Test a regulatory and operational model at regional level and promote its transfer at EU level.
- Develop and disseminate carbon forestry applied to slow-growing species, which will contribute to climate change mitigation.
- Promote the adaptation of natural areas to climate change
- Promoting the consumption of goods whose production increases the carbon sequestration of European ecosystems.
Role of the University of Córdoba
• Carry out an analysis and diagnosis of the carbon flow measurement systems and silvicultural itineraries of the cork oak forest.
• Modelling carbon fluxes in biomass and soil associated with cork oak silviculture.
• Quantify and monitor the carbon fluxes associated with the implementation of emission compensation projects in cork oak forests.
Contact information
Investigador Principal: Guillermo Palacios Rodríguez
Correo electrónico de contacto: gpalacios@uco.es
Página web del proyecto: en construcción