Meetings on forest carbon sink

In October 2021 Members of Slovenia Forest Service and Department of Forestry of Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana organised meetings with forest owners and managers in Slovenia, who own or manage large forest estate. Participants were individuals, municipalities, and agrarian communities. SiDG (company managing forests owned by state) and Metropolitana d.o.o. (company manage forests owned by Roman Catholic Church) also participated as two biggest forest owners in Slovenia. The aim of the meetings was to inform them about the role of forest carbon sinks in process of climate change mitigation and importance of active forest management for optimisation of carbon sinks.

Meeting of Slovenia Forest Service and Department of Forestry of Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana

A list of measures contributing to optimisation of carbon sinks and existing financial mechanisms for financing or subsidising of measures were presented. Participants were also introduced to the concept of carbon offsets, its potential, drawbacks and current status of carbons offsets in EU.

Owners and managers were also able to provide their experience and feedback from the field that will be very beneficial in process of creation of guidelines for forest management planning and policy recommendations for main stakeholders and decision makers on national level.

Forest management for optimisation of carbon sinks

Some of the meeting also involved field demonstration of certain problematics and measures, contributing to optimised management of forest carbon stocks. Foundations for future cooperation were also established.

Additional knowledge about existing efforts and possible measures for optimisation of forest carbons sink will allow owners and managers of large forest estate in Slovenia better adaptation of management process in order to achieve all economic, social and environmental goals, set by forest management planning.