Scientists urge EU to award forestry carbon credits

Scientists from the University of Helsinki have urged the EU to award carbon credits for forests after a new study found increasing Europe's woodland areas would prove a more successful mechanism for meeting 2020 emissions targets than introducing more renewable energy technologies.

Writing in the UK journal Energy Policy last week, the researchers advocated pulling woodland projects into the current European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) as a means of ensuring there are financial incentives to encourage the maintenance and expansion of Europe's forests.

"In addition to addressing the fossil emissions, we encourage the national governments of Europe to focus on agricultural and forest policy, and waste management," the report said, adding that forestry provided an effective means of hitting the EU target of slashing emissions by 20 per cent by 2020.

The study's lead author, professor Pekka Kauppi, said the carbon absorption rate from trees has proved to be more than double the five per cent he predicted in 1992. "The good news is that trees are extremely efficient mechanisms for capturing and storing carbon," he explained. "The better news is that Europe’s forests are thriving and expanding and therefore will play an increasingly important role in helping the EU reach its environmental goals."

The research estimated net expansion of forests in the EU has resulted in the absorption of 126m tonnes of CO2 between 1990 and 2005, the equivalent of 11 per cent of EU emissions from human activities.

Co-author Aapo Rautiainen said according to rough estimates, the impact of forests "in reducing atmospheric carbon may well be twice that achieved by the use of renewable energy in Europe today".

Kauppi added, "Renewables have a part to play but they don't have as big a role as forests."

The report echoes similar calls from environmental groups and tropical countries for a greater recognition of the role of forests in tackling climate change. Several key developing nations are expected to lobby for a new global system of credits for maintaining and expanding tropical rainforests at this week's UN climate conference in Bali.