Relevant information

FAQ

What is LIFE?

LIFE Programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action for 2014-2020 period. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value.

LIFE Climate Action is one of the two sub-programmes of the European Union’s main funding programme for the environment. It supports both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation projects.

The main objectives of LIFE Climate Action are to:

Contribute to the shift towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy;
Improve the development, implementation and enforcement of EU climate change policy and legislation;
Support better environmental and climate change governance at all levels; and
Support the implementation of the 7th Environment Action Programme.

Mitigation projects contribute to substantially reducing Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions; adaptation projects address the inevitable impacts of climate change. This part of LIFE co-finances projects that help develop and demonstrate the most effective technologies, tools and methodologies that can be taken to meet EU’s policy targets on climate change.

What budget is available to implement the project?

Total Budget for the project reaches a total amount of 2.335.417 €. European Union co-finances with 1.401.223 €, corresponding the rest of the budget to partners’ contribution. Therefore, OISMA, the Coordinating beneficiary, contributes with 336.733 € of own funds. The associated beneficiaries contribute as follows: AGRESTA with 113.770 €, CESEFOR with 112.713 €, CNPF with 179.793 €, UCO with 146.708 €, and Xunta de Galicia with 44.477 €.

LIFE FOREST CO2 goals

LIFE FOREST CO2 project aims to comprehensively enhance carbon sinks generated as a result of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) among the forestry sector, providing an extensive and specific knowledge on the accountability of CO₂ sequestration. Simultaneously, it will encourage companies and organizations in non EU-ETS regulated sector to calculate, reduce and offset their emissions of greenhouse gases through carbon credits generated by SFM. Additionally, we will work with forest owners and managers, which conforms the supply of carbon credits, providing and increasing the reliability of SFM projects among the demand for such credits, represented by entities from Non EU-ETS regulated sectors.

Who are the main stakeholders of LIFE FOREST CO2 project?

LIFE FOREST CO2 project has as target stakeholders two main groups of interest, which will play a major role in the development of the project:

Forestry sector: for the project, this sector is comprised by forest owners and managers, both public and private, forestry enterprises and developers of forestation projects.
Non EU-ETS regulated companies: LIFE FOREST CO2 project will work with business and organizations linked to voluntary markets, which are comprised by important sectors as agriculture, construction industry, transport or commerce.

Can I participate in LIFE FOREST CO2 project?

LIFE FOREST CO2 project will work to create synergies to climate change mitigation with several target publics. In order to achieve this goal, the team responsible of the project will conduct numerous activities aimed to involve the aforementioned stakeholders.

If you are interested in participate in any of this events, which will take place mainly in Spain and France territory, and presumably mainly in Spanish and French language respectively, you only have to send an email to project’s contact address info@lifeforestco2.eu.

Also, if you are interested in networking sessions with any of the beneficiaries, follow the same process, and send an email to project’s contact address info@lifeforestco2.eu including the main points of interest by your team in the mail.

If you would like to take part in our forum, you just have to register and suggest any consult in those threads that suit your query. The project team, as well as other registered users, will clarify the doubts exposed as soon as possible.

Glossary

Voluntary agreement

An agreement between a government authority and one or more private parties to achieve environmental objectives or to improve environmental performance beyond compliance to regulated obligations. Not all voluntary agreements are truly voluntary; some include rewards and/or penalties associated with joining or achieving commitments.

Carbon offset

Compensatory measure made by an individual or company for carbon emissions, usually through sponsoring activities or projects which increase carbon dioxide absorption, such as tree planting.

Anthropogenic emissions

Emissions of greenhouse gases, greenhouse gas precursors, and aerosols associated with human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, land-use changes, livestock, fertilisation, etc.

Low carbon economy

The low carbon economy is a concept or idea that seeks maximum production and competitiveness in the economy through the efficient use of resources, having as a result an association to low GHG emissions to the atmosphere.

Sustainalbe Forest Management

The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems”. (Helsinki, 1993).

Carbon footprint

The total set of greenhouse gas emissions (direct or indirect) caused by an individual, event, organization or product.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging o Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging)

Lidar (also called LIDAR, LiDAR, and LADAR) is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating that target with a laser light. The name lidar, sometimes considered an acronym of Light Detection And Ranging (sometimes Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging), was originally a portmanteau of light and radar.

Mitigation

Technological change and substitution that reduce resource inputs and emissions per unit of output. Although several social, economic and technological policies would produce an emission reduction, with respect to Climate Change, mitigation means implementing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance sinks.

EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)/ Non regulated EU ETS)

Market instrument which pursues, through incentives or disincentives, that a set of industrial plants collectively reduce emissions of Greenhouse Gases into the atmosphere, created by the European Union. Thus, the no regulated EU ETS sectors are those that are not covered by this regulation and therefore their involvement in mechanisms to combat climate change are voluntary.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

The European Commission has previously defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as “a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis”.

LULUCF

Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) is defined by the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat as “A greenhouse gas inventory sector that covers emissions and removals of greenhouse gases resulting from direct human-induced land use, land-use change and forestry activities.

Uptake

The addition of a substance of concern to a reservoir. The uptake of carbon containing substances, in particular carbon dioxide, is often called (carbon) sequestration.

Sink

Any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas or aerosol from the atmosphere. In this context, we refer as sink to the forest carbon stocks: above and below ground biomass, carbon organic in soils, litter and dead wood.

For more Info, click on the following link: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_glossary.shtml