Carbon Sinks in Forests

Forests play a significant role in mitigating climate change. Through photosynthesis, forests and other biomass sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and act as substantial carbon sinks. Globally, the loss of forests due to agricultural expansion, construction, and other activities is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Annual Assessment of Finland’s Forest Carbon Sinks

The carbon sinks in Finland's forests are assessed annually.

In 2024 the Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector was a net source of emissions 9,77 Mt CO2-ekv.
Final results for the agriculture sector and the LULUCF-sector in the 2024 greenhouse gas inventory | Natural Resources Institute Finland (in finnish)

LULUCF Regulation in EU Climate Targets

The EU's Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) regulation outlines how carbon sinks and greenhouse gas emissions from forests and land use are accounted for in the EU’s climate targets up to 2030. In the EU, sinks offset approximately ten percent of the emissions from other sectors on average.

In Finland, the annual variation in the carbon sink is largely influenced by forest harvesting activities. Besides commercial logging, the removal of trees also includes domestic logging and natural mortality. In addition to tree biomass, the forest carbon sink also accounts for changes in the soil carbon stock resulting from human activities.

Related topics

LULUCF Regulation
EU Energy and Climate Policy

Related links

Changes in the structure of electricity production enabled a substantial fall in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023