Media briefing: EU research looks into Europe's carbon sinks

Are European forests, soil and grass the dustbins for carbon dioxide (CO2)? On 18 October 2002 the European Commission will present the CarboEurope research initiative in Valencia (Spain).,

It is a cluster of 15 research projects supported by the European Commission with a budget of EUR 25 Million. The project brings together around 160 research institutions from over 20 countries. It looks at whether the biosphere, and above all forests, can reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the principal cause of climate warming. Earth's biosphere may absorb more carbon than it releases. European forests could therefore be huge carbon sinks. CarboEurope's preliminary results point to a CO2 absorption rate of up to30% of EU annual industrial emissions.
According to the EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin: "Through the CarboEurope initiative, our best scientists across Europe are working together to be able to better quantify the capacity of forests to stock carbon. This is particularly important if we want to be able to meet the stringent Kyoto Protocol targets for CO2 reduction. This issue is on the international agenda, in view of the Kyoto follow-up meeting in New Dehli. Over the next four years, the EU will devote EUR 700 million to support research on global change and ecosystems. More research will help the EU promote its sustainable development agenda on the world stage."
CarboEurope is a cluster of 15 research projects supported by the European Commission with 25 Mill. EUR, associating around 160 research institutions from more than 20 countries. This research project did demonstrate that the European biosphere is absorbing CO2 equivalent to 10-30% of the annual industrial emissions; but it is also pointing to the risk that the biosphere loses the sink capacity in a changing climate. There is now experimental evidence underpinning model projections that seasonal rain forest in Eastern Amazonia might lose their carbon sink capacity in a changing (dryer)climate. Carbon sink could in so far turn into a source of carbon production.
In this context, sustainable forest management will play a key role to protect and enhance the carbon stocks and to mitigate climate change. The project has shown that semi-natural forests with high bio-diversity and a different age class structure serves this purpose best. In addition, it also found that old pristine forests still take up carbon and that the protection of these forests should receive high priority in order to protect the large carbon stocks.
In its final stage CarboEurope will be able to measure and verify the Kyoto signal, the CO2 reduction in the atmosphere as committed by the Parties. This will be achieved through a concept based on ground based ecosystem and atmospheric (local) measurements, regional and continental aircraft measurements integrated and synthesised in a modelling and data assimilation framework.
CarboEurope is the world's first successful effort in action in which a coherent, comprehensive integration of terrestrial and atmospheric carbon sciences has been realised at continental scale. The cluster is now regarded as a "template" for world research on the carbon cycle. The US, Japan and China plan to launch similar initiatives.
The special one-day media briefing in Valencia (E) on 18 October, will provide a unique insight into research activities being undertaken to meet Europe's climate change targets, particularly focusing on carbon sinks. Further to presentations of the EC CarboEurope cluster of projects by researchers, the programme includes on-site demonstrations of the measuring tools, from planes and towers to tree leaves and soil testing instruments. The press briefing will be held IN Valencia (E) at EUPHORE, the biggest photoreactor in the world.
Web: http://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/public/carboeur/
* For further information concerning the projects presented, please contact:,Claus Bruening,Scientific officer, Global Change Unit, Environment Programme, Research DG ,Telephone: [phone] ,E-mail: [e-mail]
* For further information concerning the press event, please contact:,Julia Acevedo,Press and information officer, Research DG ,Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone] ,E-mail: [e-mail]
* Spokesman for Commissioner Busquin: ,Fabbio Fabbi, Spokesperson for Research and development, Press DG ,Telephone: [phone] - Fax: [phone] ,E-mail: [e-mail]