ExpectedOutcome:
Project implementation is expected to contribute to mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and to help achieve climate-neutrality in the land-use sector by 2035 (combining net removals from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry with biogenic emissions from agriculture) and climate neutrality of all sectors by 2050.
Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Solutions are made available for understanding, modelling and optimising the relationships between net removals from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) and biogenic emissions from the agriculture sector at local / regional level;
- Strategies are developed at local and regional level to deal with impacts of climate change and to maximise co-benefits for other objectives, including biodiversity protection.
Scope:
The conservation and enhancement of Earth’s natural terrestrial carbon sinks such as soils and plants in forests, on farmed lands as well as peatlands and wetlands is crucial. The European Green Deal and EU sectoral policies such as the common agricultural policy give research and innovation (R&I) a significant role to play in supporting the design and implementation of policies that will ensure the achievement of the EU’s climate objectives.
Project activities should:
- Analyse, model and project impact of past, present and future land use and land use change on the local and regional evolution of the climate, including as appropriate the use of remote sensing technologies (Copernicus) combined with innovative processing and AI;
- Develop strategies for policy-making to mitigate adverse evolutions of climate at the regional/landscape level, including with regard to trade-offs between different objectives (climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and biomass production, biodiversity protection);
- Propose solutions for improved land management, making use of afforestation, integrated land use change and management practices (e.g. hedges, agro-forestry), extensivation and rewetting of organic soils, improved forest management and better use of biomass for long-lasting wood products, more efficient use of fertilisers, dietary changes, etc.;
- Include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources to collaborate with other projects financed under this topic as well as with projects under Destination 1, “Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality”, of Horizon Europe Cluster 5, “Climate, Energy and Mobility”, and with relevant projects under the Missions “Adaptation to Climate Change” and “A Soil Deal for Europe”.
In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
