About: LULUCF
Campaigners hail ‘historic breakthrough’ on revised EU biomass rules
Environmental groups claimed victory earlier this week after the European Parliament's environment committee voted on new rules clarifying what can be counted as "sustainable biomass" under the revised renewable energy directive. Others were more cautious though, saying the battle is far from over.
2030 land use targets need to reflect the complexities of different EU countries
The methodology for establishing 2030 net emissions and removal targets for EU countries in the ongoing revision of the land use directive (LULUCF) is too simplistic and must be changed to reflect the different circumstances of EU countries, writes Anna Zalewska.
EU farm lawmakers want to have their say on land-use emissions framework
EU agriculture ministers and MEPs from European Parliament's agriculture committee want to see farmers' interests included in the new framework for land-use emissions, a responsibility that falls to their 'environment' colleagues.
EU wants to reward farmers and foresters for nature-based carbon removals
By 2030, the European Commission wants a complete overhaul of Europe’s natural landscapes – switching from unhealthy ecosystems at risk of emitting carbon to restored homes for biodiversity that capture and store carbon.
Finnish MEP: 2020s need to be ‘decade of change’ for Europe’s depleting carbon sinks
The next decade needs to see a huge turnaround in the state of Europe's depleting carbon sinks and more incentives for farmers and foresters to capture carbon, if Europe wants to meet its climate goals, according to Ville Niinistö.
Carbon removals: the secret to reaching net zero emissions
Europe needs to drastically cut its emissions to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, but there is another tool in the battle against global warming that could help: carbon removals.
MEPs ‘far away’ from an agreement on merging forest and agriculture sectors under LULUCF
EU lawmakers working on revising the land use, land-use change and forestry regulation (LULUCF) are split over the European Commission’s idea to merge the sector with the agricultural industry in the 2030s.
Finnish MEP: ‘I’m against the power creep in the EU’s forest strategy’
There is no such thing as a European forest, and those trying to introduce an EU-wide forest strategy that does not take account of regional differences “live in Fantasyland,” Finnish lawmaker Nils Torvalds told EURACTIV.
Forest policy splits Nordic lawmakers in the European Parliament
Leading lawmakers from the Socialist and the Greens group in the European Parliament held contrasting views on forest policy during a EURACTIV event earlier this month.
Seeing the woods: EU lays out plan to capture more carbon from forests
The European Commission on Wednesday (14 July) unveiled plans to build up carbon sinks, like forests and wetlands, as part of a broader package of climate legislation aimed at achieving a 55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
EU sets the scene for carbon removal actions in farming
A new carbon removal approach in agriculture will contribute to stepping up Europe's climate ambition, the European Commission reiterated at the launch of its massive plan to cut carbon emissions by 55% before the end of the decade.
EU plan puts spotlight on carbon sinks to tackle climate change
Europe will need to increase the amount of carbon stored by its forests and wetlands to meet a new, more ambitious target for carbon removals in Europe, according to a leaked policy draft seen by EURACTIV.
Europe’s ‘Fit for 55’ climate package: What to expect
On Wednesday (14 July), the European Commission is due to table a package of energy and climate laws aimed at reaching the EU's new, more ambitious climate goals. EURACTIV gives you the lowdown on the plan.
Official: EU taking first steps to bring forestry into carbon market
The first step to bring forestry under the EU’s emissions trading scheme is to ensure that every tonne of carbon dioxide in the forest is counted so that a certification system for carbon removals can be put in place, Artur Runge-Metzger told EURACTIV.
Forestry’s climate impact ‘invisible’ under UN rules, experts say
Forests are the planet’s biggest carbon “sink” – absorbing more CO2 from the atmosphere than they emit – but their contribution to cooling the earth’s climate are currently not fully accounted for under UN rules, experts point out.
Commission under fire for including ‘carbon sinks’ into EU climate goals
The European Commission on Thursday (17 September) defended its plan to bring carbon removals from agriculture, land use and forestry into the EU’s updated climate target for 2030, saying this was in line with UNFCCC standards.
Forests are crucial in salvaging the Paris goals – EU must lead the way
In addition to halting deforestation, the European Union must support efforts to allow forest regeneration and sequestering more carbon dioxide, write Heidi Hautala and Carlos Zorrinho.
Halting deforestation – a critical contribution from the EU
Halting deforestation and allowing forests to regrow would provide at least 30% of all mitigation action needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As a major importer of products linked to deforestation, the EU has the leverage to make a difference, writes former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.
Five reasons why the EU’s bioenergy policy will backfire
EU policymakers have failed to ensure that continuing support to wood burning for energy production will help fight climate change, for five main reasons, writes Linde Zuidema.
France to manage its ‘carbon sink’ for 2050 goal
Optimising the wood-energy sector is key for France to attain its objective of becoming carbon neutral in 2050. However, 60% of forests in the country are left unmanaged nowadays. EURACTIV.fr reports
Forest owners boss: ‘Sustainable forest management crucial to maintaining carbon cycle ‘
Sustainable forest management is vital to ensure that Europe meets its climate and energy goals. But over-regulating forest bioenergy would damage the sector’s economic performance and undermine its potential for climate change mitigation, Emma Berglund told EURACTIV in an interview.
Wood from German forests as climate-neutral fuel?
Germany is the EU's richest country in forest and wood. According to European Commision plans, German forests are meant to be used much more as energy sources in the future. EURACTIV Germany reports.
European forests and climate change
Forests are Europe’s biggest carbon sinks and forestry the sector with the greatest potential to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the quantities needed to meet the bloc’s objectives under the Paris Agreement.