Planted forests improve the quality of life on the planet

The planet has suffered a series of environmental events in the last decade and, as a result, we have seen an improvement in knowledge regarding the importance of forests in the fight against climate change.

In the midst of all this, a group of scientists established by the United Nations to monitor and advise on all global science related to climate change released its new climate report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which released recently that changes in climate are already causing an increase in the frequency and/or intensity of extreme events since pre-industrial times such as: storms, floods, droughts, forest fires and other climate phenomena, in addition, according to the August report In 2021, humans are responsible for a 1,07°C increase in the planet's temperature.

Still according to the IPCC, there is no way to lower the global temperature, the challenge is to prevent it from continuing to rise.

To understand this, it is necessary to analyze it from the perspective of a period in which the mentality was to see factory pollution as a symbol of victory and prosperity, without realizing the possible side effects of the industrial model, marked by the irrational use of natural resources, inequality social situation and the poor living conditions of the workers.

Seeking to halt the advance of carbon emissions across the globe and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the concept of carbon credit emerged from the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. It was the first international treaty to control the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to a publication by Agência Senado.

Carbon credits have become an incentive, as they allow for a greater financial return, a resource that can be used for sustainable infrastructure and bioeconomy projects, mainly to pay for environmental services and preserve the stock of natural resources. These credits, in addition to neutralizing the companies' own emissions, can be sold between companies that seek to neutralize their emissions, thus avoiding possible environmental sanctions.

Given this scenario, silviculture (forest cultivation) plays a leading role, as it is capable of reducing pressure on native vegetation, contributing to mitigating the effects of climate change. According to the website pensamentoverde.com.br, the main benefits of forestry are:

• Reducing pressure on native forests
• Upgrading land degraded by agriculture
• carbon sequestration
• Soil and water protection
• Shorter rotation cycles compared to countries with temperate climates
• Greater homogeneity of products, facilitating the adaptation of machines in the industry

In other words, its function is to take care of the rational exploitation and maintenance of forests, from small farmers to large industries.

Brazil

During the last Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, entities representing the global carbon credit market were unanimous in saying that Brazil is increasingly attracting international investors. The logic of this mechanism is to allow a more polluting nation to invest in sustainability projects in another country and earn carbon credits.

Brazil, in turn, has approximately 9,8 million hectares of planted forests, which corresponds to less than 1% of the national territory, with a stock of approximately 1,88 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent, being that 76% of total forest production in the country is destined for eucalyptus, according to IBGE, based on 2021 data.

Both planted forest companies and international forestry investment funds, the so-called Timber Investment Management Organization (TIMO), which is a management group that assists institutional investors in managing their investment portfolios in forestry assets, continue to advance in the country , investing in increasing planted areas, with the aim of supplying its industries (verticalized market) and in the so-called open market for reforested wood. The planted trees, even after being harvested, are transformed into products, which continue to store the sequestered carbon. Furthermore, millions of tons of carbon are no longer emitted when using renewable energy to replace fossil fuels, in the production of products replacing petroleum-derived products.

This global market for wood products from planted forests requires international certifications that attest to the use of responsible practices throughout the forest management value chain. Plantings occur in anthropized areas, that is, areas whose original characteristics have been altered by human action, without putting pressure on areas of native forests. In addition to sequestering carbon and contributing to the generation of energy from renewable sources, this market strictly complies with legislation and protects and preserves ecosystem services.

Based on this analysis that considers the historical context and brings a systemic view of the current moment we are experiencing in the world, I believe that forestry plays an extremely important role in slowing global climate change. Brazil stands out in this culture globally and is capable of leading the process of expanding forest-based activities on the planet, carrying the full conviction that we comply with the strictest sustainability standards and environmental laws.

Another point that I cannot leave out of this analysis is the social role played by forest-based companies, which provide knowledge and generate jobs and income in their regions of operation, which gives us, in general terms, a direct contribution to the socioeconomic development of the region. country.

Planting forests, therefore, in addition to generating foreign exchange and responsible management, is environmentally correct and improves people's lives.