Greenhouse gas emissions and removals in land and forests

Spain’s LULUCF emissions and removals trend can be categorised in four main periods.

1. 1990–2001: increasing removals, driven by forest land and harvested wood products (HWP), with notable declines in 1994 (due to severe forest fires) and 1997–1998 (due to a decline in HWP removals).

2. 2001–2013: a general decrease in removals, with peaks in 2006, 2010, and 2011. This includes a slower removal trend in forest land, declining HWP removals (sharper after 2007) and fluctuating emissions/absorptions in cropland.

3. 2013–2018: increasing net removals due to strong gains in cropland and HWP, despite stable forest land removals.

4. 2018–2022: declining removals, especially in HWP and forest land. An increase in removals is noted in 2023.

In 2022, LULUCF removals represented 16.1% of total national gross emissions. The 2023–2030 updated national integrated energy and climate plan (NECP) sets out climate neutrality target contributions and 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target contributions for the LULUCF sector. These targets, and the new target introduced by EU Regulation 2018/841 on greenhouse gas emissions, with some flexibility allowed by the regulation, are expected to be met through the implementation of the measures laid out in the NECP to promote GHG removals from both agricultural and forestry sinks, and to avoid their loss. These measures take the form of actions such as sustainable forest management, afforestation, direct seeding, cover crops and measures to combat forest fires.