The project was developed along three main lines:

Measuring the carbon stock and carbon sink of the three representative areas and assessing the additional activities that enable the increase in ecosystem services over a period of at least 100 years

The control of resources and environmental impacts along wood supply chains, so as to improve input flows and negative output impacts from the wood production system as much as possible

The creation of a financing mechanism from the production system in general, which uses forests as an indirect productive resource, in order to be able to create the financial means to implement additional forest management activities.

The ecosystem services considered are derived from the following practices:

  • activities for fire prevention;
  • activities for increasing crash resistance due to wind and storms;
  • regeneration cutting and thinning to regulate stem competition, sustain forest viability, accelerate the natural regeneration process, and maintain forest age within a range conducive to maximum CO2 uptake;
  • prevention of hydrogeological risk and maintenance of the minor hydrographic network.

 

The set of actions planned and fielded by the project include, in detail:

  • an analysis and assessment of ecosystem services, through a detailed measurement of carbon stock and sink in the three selected areas in order to have more precise measurement than the average value found by IPCC reports. Then, the impact of two sets of ecosystem services will be studied, one related to regulation (forest management activities) and one aimed at risk prevention (fire and crash); in addition, there will also be an in-depth study related to cultural services (mushroom harvesting).
  • An action directed instead at developing the life cycle analysis of the wood industry resulting from the areas studied in accordance with Rec. 2013/179. In this action, a comprehensive PEFCR will be created and an improvement plan developed for companies participating in the pilot study.
  • The assessment of the carbon stock in wood products derived from the forest, particularly construction products, which have a longer life span.
  • The establishment of a certification standard for ecosystem services.
  • An action focused on assessing how the latter can be modified in monetary terms and defining procedures and rules necessary to activate an EESP (ecosystem payment and environmental services) mechanism that can enter the market directly to companies (with the mediation of trade associations) or as an add-on to the green bond.
  • An action aimed at defining regional policy support tools.
  • An action aimed at assessing the transferability and replicability of these support tools, LCA analysis activity and ecosystem credit management in other regional bodies, the Ministry of Environment and other European countries.
  • An action dedicated to an understanding of dissemination and communication activities, which will be shaped from time to time according to the target audience and the different audiences of the project.
  • Actions aimed at project management and prevention of any problems and risks that may arise.

PARTNER PROGETTO