Green Strategies: How European Forests Can Help Fight Climate Change

Europe aims to be climate neutral by 2050. One way to get there is by using forests to store more carbon. This is called carbon farming. But how can this be done? And what are the best ways to do it? First, let's talk about afforestation. This is when trees are planted on land that was not previously forested. It turns out that this is one of the best ways to store carbon in the short term. However, it's not always possible or practical to do this everywhere. Another option is agroforestry. This is when trees are grown alongside crops. It can help store carbon in the soil over the long term. But it's not a quick fix. It takes time for the benefits to show. Peatlands are another important area. These are wetlands that store a lot of carbon. When they are drained, they release carbon. But if they are rewetted, they can store carbon again. This is a great long-term solution.But there are also some risks. For example, if trees are not harvested, they can store more carbon. But if they are not managed properly, they can also be a fire risk. And if the trees are not replaced, the carbon will be lost when they die. The best way to store carbon is different for each forest. It depends on the type of forest, the climate, and the risks. So, it's important to study each forest individually. But it's not just about storing carbon. It's also about making sure that the carbon stays stored. This is called permanence. And it's important to make sure that the carbon farming doesn't cause problems elsewhere. This is called leakage. Finally, it's important to make sure that the carbon farming is additional. This means that it's not something that would have happened anyway. For example, if a forest is already being managed sustainably, then carbon farming is not additional.