Project type: Land Use and Forestry
Project location: Germany, Brandenburg
Project status: In operation, credits available
CO2 Reduction: 20,591 tonnes CO2e over 30 years
This climate protection project promotes forest renewal in Brandenburg, actively transforming even-aged, predominantly pine monoculture woodland into a well-structured, biodiverse forest for future generations. Numerous environmental measures, natural forest management techniques and strong tree species diversity are used to maintain and expand a liveable habitat for many rare and protected species like the beaver, black stork, white-tailed eagle and bittern.
In the past, many German forests were designed to produce the most efficient yield. The emphasis was therefore on relatively fast-growing and profitable coniferous species, especially spruce and pine. Climate change has put trees originating from higher altitudes under increasing stress due to beetle infestations and drought. The lack of layering that is typical for even-aged monoculture forests also reduces resilience to storms, which are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. The last forest condition survey from 2020 found that four out of five trees – in particular spruce and pine, but also oak and beech – had sparse crowns indicative of early signs of damage. The number of dead trees was also found to be on the rise. This means that the forest, an important protector of the environment that offsets around six per cent of our annual CO₂ emissions, is in real danger.
The project area
The private forest of Gut Herzfelde is situated to the north of Templin in Brandenburg and is part of the Uckermark lake district. Almost three quarters of the 617-hectare total forest area is dominated by pine trees, as well as other coniferous species including spruce, Douglas fir and larch. Deciduous trees have so far constituted only 22 per cent of the main tree stock. 143 hectares of the entire area have been identified and certified as climate protection project areas. The surrounding nature reserve with the Dolgen and Ragollin lakes is not only impressively beautiful, but also rich in biodiversity. The proximity to water provides a habitat for rare species like the beaver, river otter, bittern, white-tailed eagle, osprey, black stork, white stork and seagull.
Measures: from monoculture to climate-adapted biodiverse forest
In the coming decades, active and – most importantly – prompt forest renewal measures are needed to avert, or at least mitigate, extensive forest damage, as has already occurred in other parts of Germany. Young, more resilient and more biodiverse forests with significant climate protection potential for future generations will be created in their place. The Herzfelde project involves natural regeneration and planting additional species, as well as active species curation and wildlife management. Over a period of 15 years and beyond, these measures will catalyse the area’s transformation into a multi-layered and biodiverse forest. At the end of the project period, over 25 tree species will be established across the entire project area. A forest comprising 80 per cent deciduous species and 20 per cent coniferous species will be created, providing a habitat for numerous rare and protected species.
Where does the money from the CO₂ certificates go?
Forest renewal in Germany is an expensive undertaking which will benefit future generations the most. The Thünen Institute has estimated the cost of the renewal required across Germany to be around 14 to 43 billion euros. Funds from climate protection certificates are being used for forest planning and modelling, continual monitoring, on-the-ground measures (especially planting seeds and seedlings) and continual species curation and cultivation, which requires considerably more effort in mixed forests. The certificates also allow for the use of natural forestry techniques and for the area to be intensively looked after by a full-time forest ranger.
Project partner and standard
The forest renewal project in Brandenburg has been developed by the myclimate partner Pina Earth in collaboration with a private forest owner, who bought up the areas in question in 2002. Pina Earth is a German company that specialises in digitally modelling forest renewal projects and developing climate protection projects in the forestry sector.
Strong long-term partnerships help us to promote climate protection in Germany effectively. We are delighted to work with myclimate on the Herzfelde project to promote forest renewal in Brandenburg and to enable companies to contribute to climate protection on the ground.
The Herzfelde climate protection project is registered with the German Forest Climate Standard and has been checked and certified by external assessors from TÜV Nord. The forest is also FSC-certified, proving that it conforms to the highest established standard for sustainable forestry.
Method, impact assessment and verification
Forest renewal involves planting more trees, thus leading to more CO₂ being absorbed (CO₂ reduction). The increased volume of trees helps to store CO₂ and reduce damage caused by storms or pests. The project also delays wood harvesting, which in turn helps to reduce CO₂ emissions. Moreover, the existing trees protect the newly planted saplings and provide them with shade.
Calculations are carried out based on scientific methods and forest data to predict the best possible outcome. A virtual model of the forest is used to help simulate different scenarios. The models have been developed and certified according to the forest renewal methodology of the German Forest Climate Standard. The projected wood volume is calculated using the TreeGroSS software library from the NW-FVA (Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt). Operational and forest inventory data have been used to generate a digital twin of the forest. Its future trajectory has then been modelled to the best possible degree according to the scenarios described and taking into account various factors (e.g. previous stock, the state of the forest in terms of inventory layers, tree species and area coverage, age, availability of nutrients and water, risk of forest fire, and so on).
The impact of the project will be regularly measured over a period of 30 years by comparing CO₂ storage before and after the renewal of the forest. This means that the number of CO₂ certificates allocated for a forest renewal project is based on the difference between the reference scenario (the original scenario or standard development) and the project scenario. New trees may be planted and measures adjusted as necessary. A proportion of the CO₂ certificates (in this case 15 per cent) is retained as a safety buffer within a cross-project CO₂ buffer from the German Forest Climate Standard to account for unexpected damage. An independent audit of the forest condition and development will be carried out by the eva foundation every three to five years.
*as at the end of July 2024. Find out how myclimate reports these SDGs in our FAQ.
The project reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions and also absorbs CO₂ from the atmosphere.
A valuable habitat for many endangered plant and animal species contributes to biodiversity.
7803
