Foresters in Latvia can now use a free online calculator to visualise how different forest management practices will have an impact on the carbon dioxide (CO2) their forests will be able to sequester, as well as the rate of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 5 to 50 years into the future.

An EIP-AGRI Operational Group (OG) coordinated by the Latvian Forest Advisory Service centre developed the calculator ‘EMISIS’. It informs and motivates forest managers to adopt practices that enhance carbon storage and biodiversity. It also contributes to reducing GHG emissions and supports broader climate mitigation. Raimonds Bērmanis, project coordinator, explains that this tool is one of the first of its kind in Latvia and “It is a practical, easy-to-use tool that has many benefits for land managers interested in sustainable forestry and carbon farming, especially with increasing discussions on carbon credits. It is also bottom-up, allowing the land manager to make informed decisions on the changes to be made.”

Pre-commercial thinning, wood ash fertilisation, forest drainage, afforestation, planting trees in pastures; the EMISIS calculator includes 14 management practices for forestry and agroforestry as measures to increase CO2 sequestration. Raimonds says: “The practices which are available in the calculator are known to actively contribute to carbon sequestration in Latvian conditions. Users can adjust exact measures on forest stand level, varying the conditions such as tree species, soil type, age of trees, and the calculator will produce models where the forest will have a positive carbon sequestration after 5, 10 or even 50 years.” The calculator provides a comprehensive forest management plan, giving information for each stand, year by year. The calculator is connected directly to the national forest database, which is regularly updated.

In order to create the tool, for each of the forest management practices, the OG developed algorithms for the calculation of CO2 sequestration and changes in GHG emissions. The calculator currently has over 180 users, and this number is increasing. Private forest owner Didzis Rebans is a user of the EMISIS calculator: “I find it useful because the calculator can be used to overview forest data, also to see it on the map, but the most interesting part is to see proposals for management activities and how they influence carbon sequestration. However, forest owners should still check these proposals in the field to ensure they fit real conditions.”

Forest managers can use the calculator to find the right combination of forestry management practices to ensure their forest will be effective in carbon sequestration. Users input data relating to their forests, such as tree species composition and forest management restrictions, and they can create a precise map of their forest stands. The user then selects a combination of forest management practices, and the calculator makes its predictions. Reports can be generated showing CO2 sequestration in tons and GHG emissions in tons within different scenarios and on a timeline.

The OG is drawing to a close, but it is just the beginning for the calculator. Raimonds says: “The goal is that this tool will be used by the advisors in our organisation to give advice to foresters and support them to draw up forest management plans, including carbon farming data.”

Background information

More than 50% of Latvia’s land area is covered in forests, and many farmers are also forest owners. According to the European Environment Agency, the forestry sector in Latvia experienced a 137% increase in emissions between 1990 and 2023 due to increased harvesting rates, natural mortality in ageing forests and significant emissions from peat soils.

The EU CAP Network published a thematic Innovation & knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI Newsletter on Carbon sequestration in November 2025. The newsletter featured this story. Read the newsletter for more inspiration linked to carbon sequestration in agriculture.