The project

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The project

Background

European forests play a crucial role in Europe’s carbon balances —with a climate change (CC) mitigation impact that accounts for 13% of all EU emissions— thanks mainly to:

  • their carbon storage capacity,
  • their carbon fixation in trees and in wood products,
  • and their replacement of fossil fuels.

However, in recent years the first symptoms of carbon sink saturation have been observed in them and all signs indicate that the situation will only get worse. To reverse this trend it is necessary to implement forest management practices designed to strengthen the capacity of forests to mitigate the effects of climate change, even though there are currently no specific incentives in place to ensure good management and guarantee forest profitability in the Mediterranean context.

Objectives

The main objectives of the CLIMARK project are to contribute to the mitigation of climate change and increase the carbon sink capacity of Mediterranean forests by fostering the mitigating effects of multifunctional forest management through the creation of a climate credit market.

The proposed multifunctional forest management is based on three pillars: carbon, water and biodiversity. The project is being implemented in the region of Catalonia (Spain) and is being replicated in the region of Veneto (Italy).

Specific objectives of the project

1. Maintain and improve the mitigating capacity of forests in Mediterranean Europe.

2. Design a local ‘climate credit’ market as a tool to incentivise multifunctional forest management that focuses on climate change mitigation.

3. Raise awareness, provide training and equip all those interested in compensating their emissions through ‘climate credits’ with the requisite tools.

Maintain and improve the mitigation capacity of Mediterranean Europe’s forests.

Design a local climate credit market as a tool for promoting multifunctional forest management.

Raise awareness, train and provide tools to all stakeholders interested in compensating CO2 emissions through climate credits.

Actions and calendar

Project start: 1 October 2017

Project end: 30 November 2021

In total, 28 actions will be implemented during the years 2017 and 2021.

Preparatory actions (‘A’ Actions)

Environmental diagnosis of the activity areas, establishment of agreements with the owners of the land selected for the execution of the demonstrative actions, characterisation and diagnosis of the stands, design of protocols and definition of the baseline and identification of local companies with compensation needs.

Preparatory actions

Implementation actions (‘C’ actions)

  • Application of forest management practices to various forest formations (Pinus halepensis, P. sylvestris, P. nibra, Quercus suber, Q. faginea) and reforestation to determine the impact on the selected indicators (carbon, water and biodiversity).
  • Design of a new tool to develop multifunctional forest management through the creation of a climate credit market. A pilot emission compensation study will be undertaken and the existing markets in Catalonia and the region of Veneto (Italy) will be adapted it.
  • Replication and transfer actions in Catalonia and Italy and advice for entities wishing to replicate elements of the project.

Implementation actions

Monitoring actions (‘D’ actions)

Assessment of the forest management impact of the implemented actions on the selected environmental indicators. A committee of experts will guarantee the technical quality and suitability of the objectives.

Monitoring actions

Communication and dissemination actions (‘E’ actions)

These actions are aimed at ghe potential users, who will be the creators (associations of owners, municipalities, managers, technicians, etc.) and buyers (local and regional companies) of climate credits. There will also be results dissemination and networking actions on the national and international levels.

Communication and dissemination actions

Project management and progress monitoring actions (‘F’ actions)

The aim of these actions is to ensure the optimal technical, administrative and financial development of the project.

Project management and progress monitoring actions

Expected results

  • Establish 85 ha of demonstrative plots distributed into four landscape units in a variety of Mediterranean forest formations in Catalonia and improve their mitigating capacity.
  • Contribute to increasing the resilience of Mediterranean forests, quantify the mitigating impact (carbon, water and biodiversity) of five innovative and demonstrative forest management practices and integrate the prevention of forest fires in the balance as carbon that has not been emitted or has been avoided.
  • Design and test a climate credit market as a pilot study in two different European regions and prepare the tools necessary to implement it in Catalonia and Veneto.
  • Replicate the climate credit compensation pilot project in two more European regions (Spain and France).
  • Training of the main actors. Impact on the target public (more than 100 developers and 150 potential buyers).
  • Raise awareness about the mitigating capacity of sustainable forest management and about the existence of the climate credit market among all stakeholders and the general public.
  • Impact on local and regional policies. Participation of seven municipalities in Catalonia and Veneto (Italy) throught the undertaking of the various actions.

Scope of action

Coordination

LIFE CLIMARK (LIFE16 CCM/ES/000065)

is a LIFE Climate Change Mitigation Project, funded by the EU LIFE Programme.

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The Forest Ownership Centre

Finca Torreferrussa
Ctra. B-140, Sabadell a Santa Perpétua de Mogoda, km 4,5
08130 Santa Perpètua de Mogoda (Barcelona)

Phone: 935 747 039 – Fax: 935 743 853

E-mail: info@lifeclimark.eu