Greenhouse gas emissions and removals in land and forests

The analysed data from the national inventory for the period until 2023 show that the net absorption of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the atmosphere is decreasing. Like in previous years, the major net carbon dioxide (CO₂) sink is from the subcategory ‘change of forests and other forest biomass sources’ while major CO₂ sources include ‘grassland’ and ‘harvested wood products’. The analysis shows that the absorbed emissions almost halved over 1990–2023. The trend in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector is stable for 2016–2023; however, there is a possibility of falling short of the EU target. Progress towards the target will improve with the introduction of stricter policies from the EU. To reach the 2030 target for LULUCF, additional removals of 1 117 kt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq) are needed. Currently, Bulgaria’s forests achieve a major share of its net carbon removals through land use.