The project’s main expected results concern its environmental and socio-economic impacts. The LIFE CO2PES&PEF Project will contribute to improving forestry management by increasing CO2 absorption, mitigating hydrogeological risks and preventing fire and windthrow risks that would result in additional CO2 emissions.

On the other hand, through actions aimed at the analysis of the Product Environmental Footprint of the forest-based industries related to experimental areas and hot spot improvement actions, a reduction, instead, is foreseen in CO2 emissions in wood-cutting, sawmill and, if present, carpentry activities, as well as in water and energy consumption. Furthermore, the savings, in terms of the environmental impacts will be highlighted, resulting from the substitution of the more polluting primary raw materials with wood, a renewable material if managed correctly.

The project will also offer useful tools for companies, forestry specialists and policy-makers, whether they be local, national or international, through drawing up and establishing:

  1. A Toolkit for the forest-based industry companies to be able to assess their ecological footprint and identify areas of intervention;
  2. A certification standard of the ecosystem services produced from the forests so as to attribute a monetary value and place them on the environmental compensation market;
  3. A negotiation box for the ecosystem credits;
  4. The guidelines for the policies of the relevant regions;
  5. La definizione di linee guida per le politiche delle regioni coinvolte;
  6. An increase in the monitoring of forestry activities, forestry certification, ecosystem credit certification and management, as well as the financial activities related to green bonds and eco-sustainable tourism.

Furthermore, there will be a focus on project replicability and transferability in order to create an information set for local and national institutions, aimed at supporting their policies in agricultural and forestry issues.

Consequently, the drawing up of a manual for replicability is foreseen, presenting the project results, methodologies and replicable/transferable tools for other national and European geographical areas. As well, three workshops are planned for public institutions within important national events involving training for public employees.

Where the replicability and transferability is concerned, the platform for ecosystem credit exchange, a software for registry management, the cancellation and the marketing of ecosystem credits generated in the three forestry areas will play an important role. The software, once tested and validated, will be distributed gratis to all wishing to manage these new credits at national and international level, including certification bodies, relevant professional firms, associations, public entities, and companies.

Finally, the PEFCR for the forest-based supply chain and the toolkit for the SMEs to apply the PEF to the life cycle of wood-based products, will be distributed in workshops and awareness-raising events, also at international level.

PROJECT PARTNERS