Land and Forestry

Greenhouse gas emissions, removals and air pollutant from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).

Projections of emissions and removals of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from the LULUCF sector are balanced up to 2050. More information on projections of emissions and removals from the LULUCF sector in Slovakia.

Projection of emissions and captures of greenhouse gases and pollutants from the landscape, changes in land use and forestry (LULUCF) sector are balanced until 2050.

Afforestation and grassing are important factors in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Organic carbon in the soil is important for soil quality and also has an impact on processes related to climate change. The organic carbon content is stable in Slovakia, but at a low level. The average values of soil organic carbon in individual soil types of arable lands in Slovakia are in the range of 1-2%. Carbon losses from the soil are caused by the high intensity of their cultivation, intensive fertilization with synthetic fertilizers, insufficient fertilization with organic fertilizers, incorrect sowing procedures, but also other inappropriate methods of land use. The total supply of organic carbon in Slovak soils is at the level of 109.2 Mt. The average content of organic carbon in agricultural land in Slovakia is 22.1 g / kg. Slovakia ranks among the countries with a lower average content of organic carbon in agricultural land, similarly to Poland, the Czech Republic or Hungary. The carbon stock in forests - in living biomass (above and below ground), in necromass (dead wood, waste) and in forest soil reached a weight of 504.9 million metric tons (Mt), with the largest amount being bound in the soil (270.5 million Mt) and aboveground tree biomass (162.49 mil. Mt). 

In Slovak soils, especially in areas of intensive agriculture, there is a lack of organic carbon in soils, which has a negative impact on the ability of the soil to bind water, nutrients, compaction, respectively leaching of the soil and create conditions for the life of the soil microflora, which will subsequently cause inability, resp. very limited ability of soil to sequester CO2.

Capture projections for the calculation of the binding reduction target within paragraph 5 (4) of the draft law on climate change were calculated for the capture of greenhouse gases from the forest and landscape sector. Based on the modeling results, the LULUCF sector has a target to increase captures by 25% by 2030 compared to the reference year 2005. The target was prepared according to the WEM, WAM1 and WAM2 scenarios.

LULUCF in Gg CO₂ eq.

Expressed in GWP from IPCC AR5 as of 03/15/2023