The fight against climate change is one of the main objectives of the Landscape Transformation Program of the Ministry of Environment of the Portuguese government. To contribute to this, it will force the owners of forest spaces to properly take care of their forest lands for at least 20 years through a contract, compensating them economically with up to 150 ha / year, with the objective of increasing carbon absorption.

Since most of the forests in Portugal are privately owned, the Portuguese government suggests with this measure that these forests should be conserved through good forestry practices, replacing areas occupied by eucalyptus by the introduction of species that achieve greater carbon absorption. With this, it will also be possible to create forests more resistant to fire, with discontinuities that prevent the spread of large fires.

It will be a compulsory program, in which the owners of forest spaces that are not willing to take care of their trees, must transfer their lands to the State in order to avoid their abandonment and / or deterioration,

The Portuguese Government considers the fight against climate change a priority. Improving carbon absorption through forest systems is valued as an aspect of priority importance.

Although this measure proposed by the Portuguese government is very recent, with great uncertainty regarding the technical commitment and which will require large agreements between the different parties involved; it is a breath of fresh air both for the Portuguese owners of these forest spaces and for other countries that can take an example of this initiative.

This is a new forestry policy, highly applauded by the forestry sector, which expects policies and plans that value the CO2 credits generated from the forest sink.

Thus, the forestry sector (both owners and managers) is encouraged with decisions such as that of Portugal, and shows that it is prepared to contribute with its mountains to the mitigation of Climate Change, as can be read in comments from social networks.

Through the LIFE FOREST CO2 project, carbon sequestration accounting tables have been developed, and with the implementation of current European regulations (Regulations 841/2018, Regulation 842/2018, Decisions 528/2013, etc.), A valuable support is offered for the implementation of rigorous carbon accounting.

Therefore, we can affirm that the forestry sector is prepared, sensitized and considers that its forests will contribute to the mitigation of climate change.