LULUCF

LULUCF stands for “Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry.” It is a category used in carbon markets and climate change mitigation efforts to describe how human activities related to land use and forestry impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. The LULUCF sector involves various processes, including: 1. **Land Use**: This encompasses the management of land for agriculture, forestry, and other purposes. 2. **Land-Use Change**: This refers to alterations in land use, such as converting forests to agricultural land or urban areas, which can significantly impact carbon emissions and sequestration. 3. **Forestry**: This includes activities related to the management and preservation of forests, which play a critical role in absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Activities under LULUCF can both contribute to and mitigate climate change. For instance, deforestation releases stored carbon into the atmosphere, increasing GHG emissions. Conversely, reforestation and afforestation can enhance carbon sequestration, helping to offset emissions. The sector is vital for climate change mitigation because it offers significant potential for carbon sequestration. However, it also poses challenges due to the non-permanence and potential reversibility of carbon storage, influenced by factors such as deforestation, land degradation, and climate change impacts like wildfires and extreme weather events.