“Addressing Key Challenges in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting in the Forestry and Land Use Sector“, short name: LIFE LULUCF ATLAS (LIFE24-GIC-EL-LIFE-LULUCF-ATLAS/101212908), is funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme. The project is designed to enhance the management and accounting of carbon emissions and removals within the LULUCF sector (Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry) in Bulgaria and Greece. It supports the achievement of EU objectives regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050 through the development of more accurate, transparent, and science-based monitoring and reporting systems.
Project webpage: https://life-lulucf-atlas.eu/
The LULUCF sector plays a pivotal role in climate policy, as forests and land can function as both carbon sources and sinks. However, significant challenges persist, including incomplete datasets, underdeveloped monitoring systems, and uncertainties in the assessment of carbon fluxes. These issues hinder the preparation of precise national inventories and the implementation of effective policy decisions.
A further challenge involves the limited inclusion of certain ecosystems, such as coastal zones and seagrasses, which possess substantial carbon sequestration potential. The lack of integrated and harmonised methodologies across various data sources and systems also restricts the efficiency of sectoral management.
The primary objectives of the “LIFE LULUCF ATLAS” project are:
- Improving Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems within the LULUCF sector;
- Establishing a detailed, spatially-explicit system for tracking land use and land-use change;
- Enhancing the accuracy of national GHG inventories through the implementation of higher methodological tiers (Tier 2);
- Developing new methodologies for assessing carbon fluxes, including those in coastal ecosystems;
- Supporting the development of sustainable land and forest management policies and practices;
- Increasing the capacity and awareness of relevant stakeholders.
The core activities of the project include:
- Enhancing land-use monitoring and mapping by utilising data from European and national systems (LUCAS, LPIS/IACS, Copernicus);
- Updating emission factors and incorporating new carbon pools into national reports;
- Accounting for the impact of natural disturbances on the carbon balance;
- Conducting field research and modelling carbon fluxes in coastal ecosystems;
- Establishing forest and climate monitoring networks;
- Assessing policies and measures through scientific analysis and stakeholder consultations;
- Organising training sessions, workshops, and communication activities to raise awareness.
The expected results of the project include:
- Achieving full land-use monitoring coverage in Greece by the end of the project and in Bulgaria within five years post-completion;
- Significant improvement of MRV systems (60% for Greece and 64% for Bulgaria during the project term);
- Generation of first-of-their-kind data on carbon fluxes in seagrasses within the region;
- Development and implementation of a new forest monitoring framework;
- Expansion of the climate monitoring network;
- Enhanced effectiveness of policies and measures in the LULUCF sector;
- Strengthening institutional cooperation between public administrations, scientific organisations, and local authorities;
- Capacity building for key stakeholder groups through training and knowledge exchange;
- Preparation of eight official reports based on the improved monitoring and reporting systems.
Scope:
Bulgaria, Greece
Coordinating Beneficiary:
National Technical University of Athens
Partners:
HOMEOTECH
The Democritus University of Thrace
The Soil & Water Resources Institute of the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation
The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research \ Institute of Oceanography
The Forest Research Institute of the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation
Science for Nature Foundation
Ministry of Environment and Energy (Greece)
Associated Beneficiaries:
Executive Environment Agency (Bulgaria)
Budget:
€ 1,537,141 | EU Contribution: € 922,284