PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The European Commission (EC) proposes to expand the scope of the land use, land-use change and forestry sector (LULUCF) to include all agriculture in LULUCF from 2031. According to the EC proposal, this common Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector must achieve climate neutrality at the EU level by 2035. The regulation is being revised to increase the integration of the agricultural and forestry sector into climate change management policies.
Achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets requires a careful assessment of GHG calculation methodologies and a closer look at soils high in organic carbon. Thus, a systematic and unified ecosystem model is needed for more accurate, objective and reliable AFOLU sector GHG assessment, taking into account national values and factors.
The carbon farming initiative was launched to integrate those sectors more smoothly, and is seen as an important factor for generating a real shift in the AFOLU sector’s contribution to EU climate targets. The EC developed a carbon farming technical guidance handbook for setting up and implementing results-based carbon farming mechanisms in the EU. The carbon farming initiative provides financial incentives for climate-friendly activities, creating a new source of income for farmers and land owners. Linked to this initiative is the development of a regulatory framework for certifying carbon removals based on robust and transparent carbon accounting to monitor and verify their authenticity, as part of the Circular Economy Action Plan. Such carbon removals should be rewarded either via the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or other public or private carbon markets.
The target to establish and implement a GHG accounting system at farm level by 2025 is included in the National Climate Change Agenda of Lithuania. It is therefore necessary to develop a unified ecosystem model involving all stakeholders, using state-of-the-art technologies and solutions and related experience. The GFarm for LIFE project seeks to create systemic change in part of Lithuania's AFOLU sector and governance regarding GHG emission reduction by implementing carbon farming initiatives which contribute to achieving national and EU climate change mitigation and adaptation.
OBJECTIVES
GFarm for LIFE aims to develop a systematic ecosystem model for the more accurate and reliable assessment and registration of GHG emissions in the AFOLU sector, and to design a framework for a national carbon absorption certification and monitoring. GFarm for LIFE will refine the current state-of-the-art technology for monitoring GHS emissions on whole farm and forestry land by using data sources (including data from direct farming activities data; declared farm machinery telematic data; data from public sector institutions; earth observation (EO) and soil sampling data; and additional data), and will be based on an holistic framework that will enable and support the transition towards carbon farming practices. The project aims to play a key role in the systemic change required for the transition to carbon farming in the Lithuanian and European AFOLU system that benefits producers, consumers, the climate and the environment.
The project seeks to develop holistic GHG emission evaluation methods and a calculation infrastructure to support agriculture, environment and climate policy decision makers, and to improve CAP performance, minimise administrative burdens and measure the effect of policy decisions.
GFarm for LIFE has defined these specific objectives:
- Develop, pilot and validate holistic methodologies and streamlined procedures for GHG emission and sequestration assessment for the Lithuanian AFOLU sector at local (farm), regional and national levels.
- Collect, update and validate soil and forestry monitoring databases at local, regional and national levels in Lithuania as a framework for a monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) structure.
- Develop, pilot and implement a common technological infrastructure and cross-platform digital tools for GHG balance monitoring, accounting, data exchange and governance for the agriculture sector.
- Establish and pilot an incentives framework at the national level for reducing the climate impact of the Lithuanian AFOLU sector, based on market principles (by encouraging additional investment), policy guidelines and farmer behavioral change.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Development of the holistic methodology framework for GHG emission and carbon sequestration estimation, monitoring and carbon market in AFOLU.
- Soil and forestry monitoring data collected from 10,000 ha of agriculture land and 10,000 ha of forest area for quantification of GHG emissions or removals.
- Development of innovative EO and soil measurement and modelling methods to estimate GHG emissions at the farm/forest area level.
- Establishment of the pilot of the carbon balance assessment methodology, tools and carbon credit market platform.
- Development of an integrated analytical system of carbon balance assessment.
- Creation of a pilot carbon credit market with 10 different stakeholders / users involved (including agriculture, forest, private business, technology developers and advisors).
- Establishment of the carbon farming measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system.
- Preparation of green business modelling and policy guidelines and recommendations.
