Forests play an essential part in reaching the European Union's (EU) climate neutrality targets, as they are one of the most effective solutions for capturing and storing carbon. To help meet the EU's climate targets and to encourage modern, efficient forest management practice, a new type of forestry has been introduced in Latvia – alternative forestry (impact forestry). The approach helps to cut carbon emissions and preserve biodiversity by lengthening felling cycles or making it possible to do without clear-felling. The solution has been developed in cooperation with forest owners.

According to State Forest Service data, forest covers more than 50% of Latvia's total territory. Latvia, like other countries, still lacks clear solutions for meeting its national targets, and forest owners face ever-growing regulation and hastily designated protected areas that limit their freedom and flexibility. Solutions offered by the private market can provide forest owners with compensation for their investment in forest management – alternative forestry offers the chance to receive an income within three to five years of signing a contract, and to keep forests standing while earning revenue from carbon credits on the voluntary carbon market.

“Forests are one of the most effective methods of carbon capture, yet it is important to value properly the benefit they create, without imposing strict restrictions on forest owners. The credits generated by capturing carbon in forests are bought by large corporations,” explains the chief executive of the climate technology company “Arbonics”, Kristjan Lepik.

“We recognise that forest owners have both the knowledge and the wish to maintain their forests beyond the felling age set in law, but at present they have no incentive to do so. Alternative forestry is a data-driven, scientific approach to the voluntary carbon market and a new way of managing forests that makes it possible to go on conserving and maintaining woodland. The alternative forestry approach is also expected to be rolled out elsewhere in Europe, changing established forest management practice in the interests of both nature conservation and forest owners,” explains the company's forestry expert, Jānis Ruks.

Working with “Verra”, the world's leading carbon project registry, the climate technology company provides measurement and verification of the carbon captured, guaranteeing that forest owners are rewarded for the carbon stock they create.

About “Arbonics”

The climate technology company “Arbonics” brings together forest owners and buyers of carbon credits in order to increase carbon capture and protect biodiversity through data-driven forest management solutions. The company's technology makes it possible to apply the best strategies for increasing carbon capture, drawing on a range of data layers and scientific models. This delivers efficient and natural CO₂ capture, and it also makes it possible to conserve larger areas of forest. With its earlier afforestation product, the company is active in four countries and works with more than 200 forest owners. Last year it raised 5.5 million euros in funding. Its principal investor is Taavet Hinrikus with “Plural”, along with “Nordic Ninja” and “Tilia Impact Ventures”, a Central European impact fund.