Figure 1
According to preliminary GHG inventory data, emissions from the land use sector increased in 2022
According to preliminary data from the GHG inventory, the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector remained an emission source in 2022 and forests were a smaller net sink than in previous inventories. In the agricultural sector, emissions from livestock enteric fermentation and manure management were lower than in previous years.
The LULUCF sector was a larger source of emissions in 2022 than ever before (4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, Mt CO2-eq) (Figure 1). The emission was 1 Mt greater than in 2021. In 2020, the LULUCF sector was still a net sink of -5.4 Mt CO2-eq. Due to the development of the tree biomass calculation, sinks from forest land and the LULUCF sector decreased over the whole time series compared to the results of the previous inventory (Figures 1 and 2).
Why was it necessary to develop the tree biomass calculation?
During the last two national forest inventories (NFI12 and NFI13), the estimation of stand stem volume growth was revised: measurements of tree cartilage samples in one-off field plots were replaced by repeated measurements of trees in permanent field plots. The new method provides more reliable information on stand growth. The development of the tree biomass calculation for the GHG inventory associated with the change in the NFI methodology was continued in this inventory. In the time series, the annual tree biomass growth decreased by 3 Mt CO2-eq for the period 1990–2014 and by 4–5 Mt CO2-eq thereafter (Figures 1 and 2).
Lower soil sink in upland forests and higher emissions in peatland forests reduced the forest sink
Among the main land use categories in the LULUCF sector, the sink of forest land (-4.8 Mt CO2-eq) was 4.6% lower than in 2021 (Figures 1 and 2), despite a 1.6% decrease in logging compared to 2021 (Logging and tree removals by area 2022). Compared to the previous year, the sink of forest land was reduced due to the decreased soil sink of upland forests and the increased soil CO2 emissions from drained peatland forests. The increased soil emissions from peatland forests are due to global warming, which accelerates peat decomposition. The temperature for each year is calculated using a 30-year moving average. The sink for wood products (-3.3 Mt CO2-eq) was slightly lower than in 2021, but 2 Mt CO2-eq higher than in 2020 (Figure 1).
The emission from agricultural land (8.8 Mt CO2-eq) was 5% higher than the average for 2020 and 2021 (Figure 1). The increase in emissions is mainly due to an increase in cultivated peatland area (4 600 ha) while the area of mineral soil (2 800 ha) decreased compared to 2020.
The marked shift of the LULUCF sector from a substantial sink in the 1990s and 2000s (long-term average -25 Mt CO2-eq per year) to a source of emissions is largely explainable by the fact that the sink of forest land has decreased sharply due to increased loggings and increased CO2 emissions from peatland forests. At the same time, emissions from cropland have also increased by almost 3 Mt CO2-eq since the 1990s as the area of cultivated peatlands has increased (Figure 1).
Corrections to the input data and calculations caused minor changes in the LULUCF sector compared to the previous inventory (see in more detail Statistical corrections, forest resources).
Emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management in the agricultural sector have decreased compared to previous years
Total emissions from the agricultural sector in 2022 were 6.23 Mt CO2-eq. This value is very close to the figures of recent years (Figure 3). Emissions from livestock enteric fermentation and manure management both decreased by 0.05 Mt CO2-eq from the average of 2020 and 2021, but soil emissions increased by 0.08 Mt.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Data box: Second technical correction to the forest reference level
The first technical correction to the forest reference level was published on 25 September 2023. After the first technical correction, the updated reference level was -21.15 Mt CO2-eq with wood products and -14.84 Mt CO2-eq without wood products.
The current second technical correction to the forest reference level included, in addition to the changes in inventory methodology included in the first correction, a change in the calculation of tree stand biomass growth. After the second technical correction, the updated reference level is -19.3 Mt CO2-eq with wood products and -13.5 Mt CO2-eq without wood products.
Based on preliminary data, the total net sink of managed forest land with wood products for 2021–2022 was -16.4 Mt CO2-eq. To achieve the updated forest reference level, the combined net sink for 2023–2025 should be at least -80 Mt CO2-eq.
The final technical correction affecting the obligation will be submitted to the EU in 2027.
