1. State of Lithuanian forests and future projections dr. Paulius Zolubas Gintaras Kulbokas State Forest Service, Lithuania The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance – assessment and legal framework, Ministerial workshop and conference in Tuczno, Poland, 26 - 29 April 2016

2. Contents Lithuanian forest resources & management Forest resource use & future prospects GHG inventory and reporting system for LULUCF Forest and LULUCF emissions/removals LULUCF in 2030 targets The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 2

3. Lithuania’s forests in brief Latvia Estonia Sweden Finland Russia Poland Russia Riga Tallinn Belarus B a l t i cB a l t i cS e aS e aB a l t i cB a l t i cS e aS e a Gulf of Riga Gulf of Finland Gulf of Bothnia Country area-6.53 mill. ha Forest land area-2.18 mill. ha Forest coverage-33.4% Forest area per capita - 0.75ha Growing stock volume: total-529 mill. m 3 mean-251 m 3 /ha Annual increment-18.8 mill. m 3 Mature stands (for wood supply): area -402 500 ha volume -143 mill. m 3 325 m 3 /ha Annual harvest (stem volume) -9.0 mill. m 3 Lithuania Vilnius Lithuania Vilnius 3

4. Forests basics Key law Steering institution Policy implementing institution Management of state forests The main sources of information Forest databases Forest Law Ministry of Environment State Forest Service General Directorate of State Forests + 42 State Forest Enterprises National and Stand wise forest inventories State Forest Cadastre (on GIS basis) 4 The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016

5. Forest ownership 39.7%39.7%39.7%39.7% 39.7%39.7%39.7%39.7% 49.8% 10.5%10.5%10.5%10.5% 10.5%10.5%10.5%10.5% Private forests 866 000 ha 247.8 thousand owners 3.4 ha (average holding area)Private forests 866 000 ha 247.8 thousand owners 3.4 ha (average holding area) Forests of state importance 1 085 000 ha 42 State Forest Enterprises, 4 Strict Reserves, others.Forests of state importance 1 085 000 ha 42 State Forest Enterprises, 4 Strict Reserves, others. State forests reserved for restitution 229 000 ha partial managementState forests reserved for restitution 229 000 ha partial management Data source: Lithuanian statistical yearbook of forestry 2015 5

6. Forest resources tree species 21.5% 20,1% 33.7% 4.0% Aspen 4.0% Aspen 7.0% Black alder 7.0% Black alder 5.9% Grey alder 5.9% Grey alder 2.0% Oak 2.0% Oak 1.1% Ash 1.1% Ash 1.0% Others 1.0% Others 3.7% Temporary not forested 3.7% Temporary not forested Spruce Spruce (picea abies) 429.3 thousand ha 49 years old 240 m 3 /ha 9.6 m 3 /ha (increment)Spruce (picea abies) 429.3 thousand ha 49 years old 240 m 3 /ha 9.6 m 3 /ha (increment) Pine Pine (pinus sylvestris) 718.6 thousand ha 69 years old 320 m 3 /ha 9.4 m 3 /ha (increment)Pine (pinus sylvestris) 718.6 thousand ha 69 years old 320 m 3 /ha 9.4 m 3 /ha (increment) Birch Birch (betula pendula&pubescens) 458.4 thousand ha 46 years old 206 m 3 /ha 7.6 m 3 /ha (increment)Birch (betula pendula&pubescens) 458.4 thousand ha 46 years old 206 m 3 /ha 7.6 m 3 /ha (increment) 6

7. Forests of special purpose I IV Commercial forests Forest management regimes forest groups Strict reserves forests I III Protective forests 1%1% 16%16% 12% 7 71%

8. mortality Gross increment 18.8 mill. m 3 Gross increment 18.8 mill. m 3 Annual increment use accumulated volume 33.5% 1.6 mill. m 3 I-II forest group 4.7 mill. m 3 III-IV forest group Final fellings Intermediate natural losses 20.3 (14.8)% 0.5 I-II forest gr. 3.3 III-IV forest gr. 5.4 3.3 1.0 Used by cuttings felled volume 51.5% 9.7 mill. m 3 felled volume 51.5% 9.7 mill. m 3 3.8 GV Increment data: 2010-2014 Increment use data: 2005-2014 Increment use data: 2005-2014 Source: NFI  unused wood

9. Future prospects development of forest sector Forest sector prospects and development targets are delineated in National Forestry Sector Development Programme for 2012-2020, approved by the Government in 2012. The main of them are: afforestationof abandoned agriculturalto increase forest area via afforestation of abandoned agricultural land; sustainable forest managementto strengthen sustainable forest management and maintain the economic viability of the forestry sector increasing efficiency of forestry activities; sector of private forestryto buit strong, economically viable and sustainable sector of private forestry able to meet balanced environmental, economical and social demands of society; renewable energy productionto promote renewable energy production from wood residues. 9 The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016

10. Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania (MoE) /Climate Change Policy Department; Permanent GHG inventory preparation group/ A National Focal Point to the UNFCCC overall coordination and supervision of inventory process, strategic development of the national inventory system, improvement of the legal, institutional and procedural matters, supervision and coordination of the NIR preparation, finalization and submission of the NIR to the official bodies, coordination of the international inventory reviews, etc. Lithuanian Environmental Protection Agency under the MoE /Climate Change Division/ A body responsible for the coordination of LULUCF and KP LULUCF reporting coordination of reporting and promotion of the cooperation in the activities related to the LULUCF and KP LULUCF reporting between the State Forest Service, State Land Fund, Ministry of Agriculture, National Paying Agency, other responsible bodies, development and implementation of QA/QC plan and procedures, checking and archiving of supplied data, maintaining the databases, preparation of CRF tables and compilation of the NIR (including LULUCF & KP LULUCF parts), other activities. Single body directly responsible for LULUCF & KP LULUCF reporting Lithuanian State Forest Service /National forest inventory department/ Collection of activity data and emission factors used to calculate emissions and removals; Selection of methods for calculation of emissions and removals; Emission and removals estimates; Uncertainty assessment; Checking and archiving of input data, prepared estimates and used materials; Preparation of Common Reporting Format tables and NIR parts for LULUCF & KP LULUCF; Implementation of QA/QC plan and specific QA/QC procedures; Providing of the final estimates (CRF tables and NIR part) for the EPA; Evaluating requirements for new data, based on internal and external reviews. GHG inventory and reporting Institutional responsibilities

11. System of LULUCF data collection & reporting State Forest Cadastre /operating since 2003/ LULUCF reporting State Standwise Forest Inventory Individual data providers: forest owners, state forest enterprises, national paying agency, etc. LULUCF data management team: data analysis, archiving, QC, calculations, CRF, NIR Quality assurance, methodical guidance /executed by Environmental Protection Agency/ Quality assurance, methodical guidance /executed by Environmental Protection Agency/ Land use changes monitoring direct field measurements /executed by SFS NFI department/ Land use changes monitoring direct field measurements /executed by SFS NFI department/ Review of the report

12. The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 12 LULUCF improvement – Stage 1 (2012) Country efforts following IPCC GPG all permanent NFI sample plots country wise, sample based monitoring of all land use and land use changes launched on all permanent NFI sample plots - started from Apr. 2012, 4 crews, direct field measurements on >3300 plots/year land use change matrices land use change matrices for each year for the period 1990–2011 have been reassembled mainly using NFI data -2 studies on historical data analysis accomplished new legislation adopted new legislation adopted – it determines a system of forest area (A / R / D) yearly changes registration on GIS basis -State Forest Cadastre set as the main data provider for KP LULUCF reporting

13. The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 13 LULUCF improvement – Stage 2 (2016) Norway Grants project framework soil carbon stocks Evaluation of soil carbon stocks in various land use categories soil organic carbon analysis in forest and non-forest land-use categories from 750 permanent NFI sampling plots changes in soil due to A/R Evaluation of organic carbon stock changes in soil due to A/R soil organic carbon analysis in afforestated agricultural land use categories – analysis of sampling pairs from agricultural and recently afforested nearby areas carbon stock in dead wood Evaluation of organic carbon stock in dead wood evaluation of carbon content in different stages of decaying dead wood (stems) stock changes in HWP Development of national system required for estimation of carbon stock changes in HWP recovery of historical harvested woods product use data and evaluation of national system to collect annual HWP data

14. The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 14 Forest land removals/emissions

15. The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 15 New FM reference level Forest land removals/emissions

16. The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 16 Forest land and Harvested wood products removals/emissions New FM reference level (FM + HWP)

17. LULUCF sector‘s removals/emissions from different land-use categories Key categories Key categories comprises around 90 - 95 % of total LULUCF emissions/removals. 17 The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016

18. 18 Afforestation of non forest lands The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 Only human induced afforestation is accounted as A/R activity under KYOTO

19. The emissions – removals balance in various non-ETS GHG sectors LULUCF sector removals since 2009 almost equal half of other non-ETS sectors emissions. 19 The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016

20. Forest area changes and potential Forest area growth considering the most optimistic scenario if 34.2 % of forest coverage is achieved in 2020 and 35 % in 2030. 20 The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 2013 - 2020 LULUCF removals, CO 2 eqv.48.2 Mt (after FMRL) Forest potential, CO 2 eqv.84.2 Mt (FM+A/R) RMU from total LULUCF potential 27 % (13.1 Mt CO 2 eqv.)

21. Provisionally Lithuania is of the view that LULUCF sector should be the part of the 2030 EU climate change and energy policy. LULUCF in 2030 targets Lithuanian position The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 21

22. LULUCF in 2030 targets Lithuanian position The contribution from LULUCF must be considered in a holistic manner, securing both sustainable forest management and agriculture sector development. It should be recognized multiple (socio- economic and ecological) objectives and diverse role of sustainable forestry in GHG emission reduction and mitigation actions should be considered. The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016

23. The contribution needs to be sustainable; thus long-term stability of mitigation actions should be promoted, while avoiding emphasizing of short-term maximization measures. LULUCF in 2030 targets Lithuanian position The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016

24. Some land use change will continue in forest rich countries, however, an option of LULUCF inclusion in 2030 framework should be chosen that applies without punishment for Member States with extended and extensive forestry with limited space to expand forest coverage and extensively developed agriculture sector. LULUCF in 2030 targets Lithuanian position

25. 1.separate LULUCF pillar at the EU level; 2.separate land use pillar (to address the specific characteristics of emissions and removals from agriculture and LULUCF as one joint policy); 3.LULUCF inclusion in non-ETS GHG emission reduction target and scope. Lithuania is still considering options: The role of boreal forests in CO 2 balance, Tuczno, 26 - 29 April 2016 25

26. Thank you!