The State Duma supported the bill on the implementation of forest climate projects

The bill establishing the legal basis for the implementation of climate projects in forests was recommended for adoption in the first reading by the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

Forest climate projects, according to the document, are projects implemented in forests on forest fund lands and lands not related to forest fund lands, aimed at reducing emissions and increasing the absorption of greenhouse gases. According to the new regulations, their implementation will be carried out on the basis of an agreement. The law determines the subject of the agreement, its parties, the procedure for concluding, terms of implementation, grounds for refusal to conclude an agreement, as well as the grounds and procedure for its termination.

Olga Kalyuzhnaya, President of the Russian Timber Association: “The absorption of greenhouse gases through increasing forest plantations is one of the most effective and widely available methods of decarbonizing the economy. Russia has significant advantages in this area, since its territory contains 20% of all forests on the planet, the total area of which is 1.19 billion hectares. Thanks to these factors, Russian companies are actively including in their sustainable development strategy not only emission reduction projects, but also reforestation programs, which makes the country a potential world leader in the industry of forest climate projects.”.

In addition, it is planned to make changes to some articles of the Forest Code. This is due to the need to be able to carry out activities within the framework of forest-climatic projects to protect forests from fires, their fire-fighting arrangement, protection from diseases and pests, reforestation, afforestation and forest care.