"Why is it important to understand what happens in old forests? This question is becoming increasingly relevant in the context of climate change mitigation policy. Every EU country has its own climate target, i.e., to increase carbon sequestration and/or reduce emissions, and Latvia is no exception. Every tonne of sequestered carbon (or, more precisely, CO2 equivalent) has a market price. If it is possible to sequester more than the target, it can be an additional source of revenue; if less, it becomes a loss. Therefore, it is important to know how much CO2 emission and sequestration is taking place in Latvia and how to promote sequestration. The situation is further complicated by the fact that only a portion of the forest's contribution can be attributed to the climate target. Along with the goal of mitigating climate change, the characteristics of carbon storage in forests are becoming increasingly important. You could say that every tonne of carbon counts! Accounting must be precise, which is why it is verified by many controllers at both the national and European levels. Every figure must be substantiated. Within the framework of forest monitoring, we regularly survey forests and obtain information on stand parameters, such as tree dimensions (height, diameter), the distribution of tree species, forest health, etc. We use these as a basis for characterising carbon storage. However, in certain aspects, additional data and research are required. One such aspect is the carbon balance and storage in old forest stands. There is relatively little data on this, not only in Latvia but also elsewhere in Europe," says Daiga Zute, research assistant at the Latvian State Forest Research Institute Silava and European Climate Pact Ambassador in Latvia.