Greenhouse gas emissions and removals in land and forests

Between 2000 and 2021, greenhouse gas removals associated with the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector increased, from 32 922.14 kt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq) in removed 2000 to 49 258.42 kt CO₂eq removed in 2021. This change was mainly due to the increase in the area covered by the Forest Fund, through the redevelopment of forested pastures and the introduction of degraded lands into the Forest Fund, under the terms of Law No 46/2008 on the Forestry Code, republished with .

In 2020, the LULUCF sector represented 30 % of GHG emissions removals (32 894 kt CO₂eq out of a total of 109 934.33 kt CO₂eq). In 1989, the total removals by the LULUCF sector were 21 456 kt CO2eq out of 307 046 kt CO₂eq, representing only 7%. This sector, with an average annual removal capacity of 20 531.11 kt, has demonstrated a relatively constant improving trend, although from 2017 to 2022 there was a slight decrease in the amount of CO₂eq removed. The latest data for 2023 show a small improvement compared with 2017–2022 (see graph).