An unfair compensation system, the risk of job losses and the bureaucracy of regulatory requirements – these are just some of the problems that have prompted widespread protests in Latvia's forestry sector and dissatisfaction with the existing order. While decision-makers are still searching for the golden mean between satisfying the European Union's Green Deal and the demands of forest owners, the private sector has already found a balanced solution that provides for both nature conservation and the opportunity to make a profit, and that makes it possible to recognise the true value of forests.

There is no denying it – forests are the medicine that will restore the planet's health after the burden imposed by climate change. They not only help to regulate global air temperatures and reduce the volume of carbon emissions, but also to preserve and restore natural ecosystems and biological diversity, which continue to shrink under the impact of human activity.

In Latvia, forests are also one of the largest resources of the national economy, providing jobs and a livelihood for around 40 thousand people and indirectly employing a further 30 thousand or so workers in the related transport, education, science, construction and energy sectors [1]. Although it is commonly believed that the main source of income for forest landowners is timber, in reality it is also possible to earn money by conserving forests and ensuring that they are managed sustainably. The sector is currently undergoing a gradual shift towards the new forest economy, under which landowners can set aside their land for afforestation and, in return for a significant contribution to the environment, receive a guarantee of long-term income.

An investment in your own future and the planet's

An investment in conserving the environment for themselves and for future generations can be made both by forest owners and by those who hold, for example, land unsuitable for agriculture that has not yet been afforested. To enter the carbon credit market, the property in question must first be surveyed, either remotely or on site, to establish how large an area is suitable for afforestation, how much carbon dioxide it will be able to sequester and what return it will bring the landowner.

Arbonics' experience to date shows that on an area of 7 hectares suitable for afforestation with birch, carbon sequestration and the conservation of biological diversity can provide the owner with income of up to approximately 131,250 euros over the 50-year term of the contract, which is also the time the trees need in order to grow. It should be noted that opportunities to earn from the sustainable management of existing forest areas are also developing rapidly.

Despite the fact that the carbon market is still developing, it has become one of the most successful and mutually beneficial solutions for nature conservation and economic prosperity, encouraging a positive transition to a more sustainable future for people and for the planet alike.