The LULUCF Regulation: the new role of land and forests in the EU climate and policy framework

Abstract

The EU LULUCF Regulation, covering the land use and forestry sector, is an essential component of the EU 2030 climate and energy framework. The regulation’s key legal commitment, the no debit rule, requires that the sector does not produce net GHG emissions. All action taken within the sector should aim at maintaining, enhancing and strengthening sinks. The regulation creates a distinctive regulatory framework that provides member states with flexibility in the establishment of the reference levels reflecting sustainable forest management practices and their climate impacts. However, the regulation imposes a clear obligation to be progressive – in accordance with the global climate regime – in climate policies in relation to land and, in particular, forests.