Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-537/ The project reviews a range of relevant land-use measures, their climate mitigation effects and the associated policy instruments, with a focus on Denmark, Finland and Sweden. It identifies alternative policy instruments that can be introduced to further augment carbon sequestration in the LULUCF sector in the Nordic countries. Key findings of the project are 1) Several land-use measures relevant for climate mitigation exist (e.g. measures on organic soils, afforestation) although the implementations are rarely explicitly driven by climate goals; 2) Policy instruments are currently limited and less diverse in their forms; 3) Alternative policy instruments include performance based incentive mechanisms, carbon rent approach, and market based instruments. Follow-up research is needed to support, incentivize and augment climate mitigation in the LULUCF sector in the Nordic region.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2023-035/ A carbon sink is created when the carbon uptake of plants, especially trees and forests is greater than the emissions of carbon from plants, soil, land use and land use change. Sinks help in mitigate climate change. Municipalities that strive to reach carbon neutrality need to strengthen carbon sinks, but this requires active engagement. Key challenges are related to land use and land use change. A first step is to make an inventory of the sinks that can be used in informing landowners and guiding municipal activities. The spatial resolution of national inventories of sinks should be developed to provide municipalities with useful information as detailed measurements cannot be carried out everywhere. Better information on sinks and factors affecting them would encourage joint work across municipalities and cooperation between municipalities, landowners, and other stakeholders.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2020-541/# Nordic blue forests are coastal vegetated habitats, such as kelp forests, eelgrass meadows and rockweed beds, that are important natural sinks for carbon and thereby climate regulation. They also play an important role in climate adaptation. Simultaneously, blue forests are at high risk from climate change and other human impacts, such as eutrophication and coastal development. This report presents the main findings of the Nordic Blue Carbon Project (2017–2020) on the areal distribution and carbon budget of blue forests (kelp forests, seagrass meadows and rockweed beds) in the Nordic region. We have identified the main ecosystem effects of climate change and other human pressures on Nordic blue forests, tested the effect of moderating some of these pressures, and give scientific advice on management measures aimed at safeguarding these important coastal ecosystems for the future.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-554/ We have quantified annual changes of N stocks in forests in Sweden, Finland, Norway and in Denmark in two independent ways. First, we quantified major inflows (atmospheric deposition and biological N fixation) and outflows (leaching of N to runoff and tree harvest). The N outflows were between 70% and 130% of the N inflows, not indicating major loss or build-up of organic matter in any of the four countries. Then we calculated N stock change in forests based on annual C stock changes reported to UNFCCC and known C/N ratios. All four countries report annual increase of forest C stocks. The sources of N to make the C stock increase possible have not been identified in the N budgets based on inflows and outflows. The discrepancy between forest N and C budgets raises the question of the consistency between reported N and C flows and stock changes.

Peatlands in the Nordic Baltic region and elsewhere in the world store large amounts of carbon and are at the same time important for conservation of biodiversity. Thus peatlands are space-effective carbon stocks, but when drained carbon and nitrogen are released as greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and as nitrate to the surface water, while methane will be released when rewetting. New knowledge reveals that one of the most efficient means to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere are the restoration of drained peatlands by reestablish former high water tables on organic soils.This project on synergies between climate change mitigation and the restoration of peatlands has been conducted under a regional Ramsar initiative covering the Nordic and Baltic countries (NorBalWet), with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The report contains chapters on peatlands and their role in climate change mitigation, individual country chapters and the role of the Ramsar Convention.

Measurement guidelines for forest carbon sequestration were developed to support reporting by public and private entities to greenhouse gas registries. These guidelines are intended to be a reference for designing a forest carbon inventory and monitoring system by professionals with a knowledge of sampling, statistical estimation, and forest measurements. This report provides guidance on defining boundaries; measuring, monitoring, and estimating changes in carbon stocks; implementing plans to measure and monitor carbon; and developing quality assurance and quality control plans to ensure credible and reproducible estimates of the carbon credits.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2023-545/ The UNFCCC Global Stocktake will be conducted during COP28 in December 2023. The Nordic Stocktake report is intended as a regional tool to support the Global Stocktake process and spur to further climate action, both within the Nordics and beyond. The Nordic region needs to increase the pace of the green transition if we are to lead by example. The report is a stocktake of GHG emissions in the Nordic countries, and a description and assessment of the different national pathways towards climate neutrality in the Nordic region. Many of the challenges on the path towards climate neutrality are not unique to the Nordic countries and solving these in the Nordic region – in countries well-positioned to do so – would prove valuable for global climate action. The report highlights common challenges across the Nordic countries and proposes opportunities for further cross-Nordic collaboration.