Carbon Markets for Forest Owners with Eeva-Liisa Heinaro
Download MP3Today I speak with Eeva-Liisa Heinaro from Finland. She spent decades working in the paper industry before moving into Carbon Lab (as COO) who help businesses manage and monetize carbon sequestration and ecological compensation projects. Carbon Lab are very well placed to deliver this service because they are a subsidiary of Conifer Consulting who manage more than 135,000 hectares of Finnish forestry for institutional investors. In this interview Eeva-Liisa explains a little about her background and the forestry sector in Finland. We then move on to discuss whats happening in carbon markets and she explains how the institutional architecture around carbon recording, transparency, integrity and pricing are being rebuilt for the future and what that means for forest owners.
Special Acknowledgement to Peter Hasulyó of the Forestry Brief (and former guest on the podcast) for his detailed written analysis of all aspects of carbon markets and who credits Eeva Liisa as a critical source in his own research. For topical and insightful analysis of European and Worldwide forest markets go to: https://forestrybrief.com/
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Key Points:
Special Acknowledgement to Peter Hasulyó of the Forestry Brief (and former guest on the podcast) for his detailed written analysis of all aspects of carbon markets and who credits Eeva Liisa as a critical source in his own research. For topical and insightful analysis of European and Worldwide forest markets go to: https://forestrybrief.com/
Click here for the ForestryNow podcast newsletter signup
Key Points:
- Eeva-Liisa's role as COO at Carbon Lab and working with both forest owners and carbon credit buyers.
- An overview of the Finnish forestry industry - 75% forestry with a substantial amount planted on peaty soils and 600,000 forest owners of different sizes!
- Previously, the carbon market was viewed as unregulated and opportunistic, leading to distrust among buyers.
- Recent changes to improve carbon market regulation and transparency are leading to increased investor confidence which in turn gives European carbon projects a competitive edge over initiatives in less regulated countries.
- Understanding where PEFC and FSC certification fit into forest carbon projects.
- The interaction between certification systems like Verra, Gold Standard and EU frameworks.
- Understanding measured additionality, financial additionality and the voluntary nature of eligible additionality.
- Understanding longevity and permanence in carbon sequestration projects.
- Challenges inherent to peatland forestry and possibilities offered by "ecological compensation" projects.
- Things to consider if starting on a carbon certification project.
Quotes:
"Additionality is one of the two really core concepts when we talk about carbon projects. The other one is permanence."
"The forest certification is actually a requirement in the carbon certification systems... your forest ....has to be certified by FSC or PFC."
Carbon certification... "is a big commitment and money-wise it can get very expensive.."
"The risks involved with peatlands is really that you cause more more negatives than positives with your carbon project, with the soil emissions."
Follow the Guest on:
Eeva-Liisa Heinaro on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eeva-liisa-heinaro/
Carbon Lab: https://carbonlab.fi/
Conifer Consulting: https://conifer.fi/en/
Other Links of Note:
The Finnish Forestry: https://www.metsakeskus.fi/en/about-us/the-finnish-forest-centre
Gold Standard Forest Carbon: https://www.goldstandard.org/
VERRA Forest Carbon Standards: https://verra.org/
The EU's Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulations https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/carbon-removals-and-carbon-farming/carbon-removals-and-carbon-farming-crcf-regulation_en
Follow the Forestry Now Podcast on:
Website: https://forestrynow.eu/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-forestry-now-podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ForestryNow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forestry_now_podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForestryNowPodcast/
Contact Dermot:
forestrynowpodcast@gmail.com
Or at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermot-mcnally-90b06421/
"The forest certification is actually a requirement in the carbon certification systems... your forest ....has to be certified by FSC or PFC."
Carbon certification... "is a big commitment and money-wise it can get very expensive.."
"The risks involved with peatlands is really that you cause more more negatives than positives with your carbon project, with the soil emissions."
Follow the Guest on:
Eeva-Liisa Heinaro on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eeva-liisa-heinaro/
Carbon Lab: https://carbonlab.fi/
Conifer Consulting: https://conifer.fi/en/
Other Links of Note:
The Finnish Forestry: https://www.metsakeskus.fi/en/about-us/the-finnish-forest-centre
Gold Standard Forest Carbon: https://www.goldstandard.org/
VERRA Forest Carbon Standards: https://verra.org/
The EU's Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulations https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/carbon-removals-and-carbon-farming/carbon-removals-and-carbon-farming-crcf-regulation_en
Follow the Forestry Now Podcast on:
Website: https://forestrynow.eu/
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-forestry-now-podcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ForestryNow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forestry_now_podcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForestryNowPodcast/
Contact Dermot:
forestrynowpodcast@gmail.com
Or at Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermot-mcnally-90b06421/
Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction to Forestry Now & Carbon Lab
00:01:18 Eeva-Liisa’s Background & Carbon Lab's Focus
00:02:59 Snapshot of the Finnish Forestry Sector
00:05:23 Forest Data, Regulation & Certification in Finland
00:08:32 Building Trust in European Carbon Markets
00:12:31 The Competitive Advantage of European Carbon Projects
00:14:09 Intersecting Certifications: Timber vs. Carbon
00:16:51 Unpacking "Additionality" in Carbon Projects
00:21:50 The Concept of "Permanence" & Credit Pricing
00:24:45 The Cost of Entry for Forest Owners
00:28:36 The Peatland Dilemma
00:31:30 How Forest Owners Can Get Started
00:34:00 Timelines for Reaching the Carbon Market
00:35:10 Protecting Investments Against Acts of Nature
00:37:25 Future Trends: Ecological Compensation
00:39:14 Balancing Carbon, Ecology, and the Timber Industry
00:01:18 Eeva-Liisa’s Background & Carbon Lab's Focus
00:02:59 Snapshot of the Finnish Forestry Sector
00:05:23 Forest Data, Regulation & Certification in Finland
00:08:32 Building Trust in European Carbon Markets
00:12:31 The Competitive Advantage of European Carbon Projects
00:14:09 Intersecting Certifications: Timber vs. Carbon
00:16:51 Unpacking "Additionality" in Carbon Projects
00:21:50 The Concept of "Permanence" & Credit Pricing
00:24:45 The Cost of Entry for Forest Owners
00:28:36 The Peatland Dilemma
00:31:30 How Forest Owners Can Get Started
00:34:00 Timelines for Reaching the Carbon Market
00:35:10 Protecting Investments Against Acts of Nature
00:37:25 Future Trends: Ecological Compensation
00:39:14 Balancing Carbon, Ecology, and the Timber Industry
