Greenhouse gas emissions and removals in land and forests

In Sweden, forest land covers about 70 % of the total land area and is therefore the dominant category in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector. This sector was a net sink from 1990 until 2023, and the net removal was on average about 55 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq). However, in 2023, the net removal decreased, and was only 31 Mt CO₂eq. Since 2012, the tree growth rate has decreased, and the harvest rate and natural degradation have increased. This explains why the net removal has decreased, as these changes influence the net removal for the whole LULUCF sector.

The largest net removal still occurs on forest land: in 2023, the net removal was nearly 32 Mt CO₂eq for forest land, followed by a net removal of 5 Mt CO₂eq for harvested wood products. The highest net emissions are from drained organic soils on all land categories, and in 2023 the net emissions totalled almost 13 Mt CO₂eq. Cropland, grassland, wetland and settlements contributed to net emissions in 2023. According to the latest predictions, Sweden will have difficulties in reaching its 2030 LULUCF target.