We still have 6 years to meet the 1.5 degree target. So one thing is clear: we need as much climate protection as possible. The situation is too critical to take the easy way out.
This means that, in addition to technology-based solutions such as renewable energies or direct air capture, we also need nature-based solutions such as reforestation or forest protection. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), nature-based solutions are indispensable.
This can also be seen in the current financing of climate protection project developers: Nature-based solutions are financed with over 50% of investments. And for good reason: on the one hand, our natural resources are enormousCO2 reservoirs: they have the potential to store 10 gigatons ofCO2 per year and can therefore account for 30% of all climate protection measures by 2030. Secondly, climate protection and biodiversity go hand in hand: 80% of all terrestrial biodiversity is found in forests. At the same time, 60% of biomass in the EU alone is at risk of climate change - an urgent call for us to act.
Forest projects account for a large proportion of nature-based solutions. Forests cover around a third of the world's total land area. They store billions of tons ofCO2 every year - and comparatively cheaply. However, our forests are under enormous threat. Depending on the geographical region, forests face different challenges: In South America and Africa, the forest area is decreasing due to deforestation; in other parts of the world, forests are increasingly struggling to withstand the risks of climate change.
For this reason, there are different types of projects that address the respective regional challenges:
All of these project types are valuable. However, one of the most important project types is missing from the list - and from the CO2 market in general: We are talking about forest conversion. By converting monocultures into climate-resilient mixed forests, CO2 is removed from the atmosphere.
While illegal deforestation plays only a minor role in Europe and North America (and thus the forest conservation project type), there are only a few areas available for reforestation, particularly in Europe, due to the high population density. Forest conversion is an urgently needed project type with enormous potential for storing CO2 - wherever there are monoculture forests.
One issue that previous project types have only addressed marginally is the condition of the forest and the way in which it is managed or planted: often as a monoculture. All over the world, trees are planted as plantations, with one tree species of the same age and height. Figuratively, these can be thought of as "matchstick forests" - all the trees are planted in rows. The aim is to harvest them again later for timber production. In Germany too, after the Second World War, spruce trees were usually planted in neat rows in an industrially efficient manner and sometimes cut down. In Europe, state regulations now prevent the overuse of forests. Nevertheless, our forests are plagued by new challenges: climate change brings with it droughts and storms, which will continue to intensify and provide space for pests such as the bark beetle.
Monocultures are particularly at risk because they stand at the same height and thus offer gateways for storms. At the same time, the tree species are not diversified, making the dominant tree species particularly susceptible to droughts and pest infestations. Our task is therefore not only to manage the forest in an economically sensible way, but also to think long-term. The solution to the problem is to convert monocultures into climate-resilient mixed forests. In Germany alone , 2.85 million hectares of forest are endangered monocultures - forests that need to be made future-proof for climate change. However, the necessary funds have not yet been available: financing and funding programs are not sufficient to finance the measures at the necessary speed.
This is where Pina Earth provides support by developing the new forest conversion project type for climate protection projects. By making a climate contribution to a Pina Earth project, companies can protect the climate regionally through forest conversion, promote biodiversity and achieve their sustainability goals at the same time.
All Pina Earth projects are documented in our forest project dashboard. Here you can also find our latest project in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg: Lindorf. The project area currently consists of a monoculture forest with 81% spruce and homogeneous tree heights. This makes the forest highly susceptible to climate-related risks such as storms, forest fires and insect infestation.
Within the project duration of 30 years, 318 hectares - an area the size of 445 soccer pitches - of pure spruce stands will be converted into structurally rich and climate-resilient mixed forests as part of the climate protection project. The newly established regeneration layer on the project area is mainly achieved by sowing silver fir, enriched with Douglas fir, lime and hornbeam. In addition, tree species such as oak and maple, which regenerate naturally on the site, will be integrated into the future forest landscape. At the same time, natural regeneration is promoted and wildlife management is carried out to prevent damage to the forest. The measures will increase biodiversity by 67% over the project duration of 30 years.
In this article, we have discussed the importance of different types of projects in the fight against climate change. Forest restoration projects play an essential role as part of a company's sustainability strategy. With increasing risks of climate change for monocultures, Pina Earth is the first project developer to offer carbon removals from certified forest conversion projects in Germany to make forests biodiverse and future-proof.
In contrast to carbon removals from afforestation projects, which often drive the planting and deforestation of monocultures, forest conversion projects are rare. The availability of these high-quality projects continues to decrease the more companies neutralize emissions as part of their net-zero targets.
In order to secureCO2 certificates from high-quality climate protection projects for their net-zero targets, many companies are already concluding multi-year contracts for high-quality carbon removals. This has the advantage of not only reserving projects, but also being protected against price increases and at the same time tangibly promoting climate protection. Would you like to find out more? Arrange a meeting with us to find a suitable project for your sustainability strategy.
Dr. Gesa Biermann is co-founder and CEO of the ClimateTech start-up Pina Earth. Pina Earth enables forest owners to finance forest conversion and thus create climate-resilient forests throughout Germany. Before founding the company, Gesa completed her doctorate in sustainability at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, was part of the management team at the Center of Digital Technology and Management (CDTM) and founded a non-profit consultancy for social enterprises (180 Degrees Consulting Munich e.V.).
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