Norway's proposed forestry accounting plan for 2021-2025 finalised

A National Forestry Accounting Plan is required under the EU regulation on forest and land use. Norway's proposed National Forestry Accounting plan is now finalised. The plan proposes a forest reference level for the period 2021-2025  in managed forests. The construction of the forest reference level is based on the continuation of the management practices in Norwegian managed forest land, as observed in the reference period 2000 – 2009. The reference level is in average 25,5 mill. ton net removals of CO₂ per year in the period 2021-2025, including harvested wood products.

Norway will not be obliged to submit the forest reference level before the EEA Joint Committee Decision establishing the cooperation between Norway, Iceland and EU to fulfil their emission reduction targets for 2030 has entered into force. Norway has informally shared our National Forestry Accounting plan with the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EU. This to inform and contribute to an efficient formal assessment of the plan after the entry into force of the agreement. The definitions, methodologies and data used to calculate the forest reference level are consistent with the methods used to estimate emissions and removals in the National greenhouse gas inventory report reported under UNFCCC, including the National Forest Inventory. The reference level is fulfilling the Paris Agreement's principles of transparency, accuracy, completeness, comparability and consistency.