The system involves the following actors:<\/p>\n

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• \n

  Operators or groups of operators<\/strong> (public and private owners\/managers of agricultural and forest areas) wishing to implement sequestration projects;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

• \n

  Companies and investors<\/strong> interested in purchasing certified credits;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

• \n

  Independent Certification Bodies (OCE)<\/strong> accredited by Accredia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>

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  Registration and Certification Process<\/h2>\n<\/div>

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  1. Project Design<\/h3><\/div>

  <\/div>

  \n

  The operator prepares a project document demonstrating commitments beyond the baseline<\/strong> (to comply with the additionality<\/em> criterion), consistent with forest management and protection regulations or regional rules. The project must meet stringent criteria for quantification, permanence, sustainability, and monitoring<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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  2. Certification<\/h3><\/div>

  <\/div>

  \n

  Certification<\/strong> \u2013 An accredited certification and inspection body<\/strong> (via Accredia) verifies compliance with the Guidelines and checks calculations based on IPCC models<\/strong>, including random inspections of field activities.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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  3. CREA Assessment<\/h3><\/div>

  <\/div>

  \n

  The project is submitted to CREA<\/strong>, the authority responsible for controlling and coordinating the Registry, which reviews the certification documents and assesses consistency with the Guidelines.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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  4. Registration and Transaction<\/h3><\/div>

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  \n

  CREA records the credits in the Registry and authorises their transaction (a private contract between parties), issuing a certificate to the owner or manager. After the sale, the owner\/manager must report the operation, and the credits are blocked and cancelled<\/strong> to prevent double counting.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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  The Registry will become fully operational once the implementation procedures<\/strong> at CREA are completed. CREA will manage the digital platform<\/strong> and ensure coordination with ISPRA<\/strong>, Regional Authorities<\/strong>, SIAN<\/strong>, and SINFor<\/strong>.
  Credits generated from 1 January 2021 onwards<\/strong> may be registered, provided they comply with the Guidelines and are consistent with EU Regulation 2018\/841<\/strong> and the Paris Agreement<\/strong>.
  Credits may be used exclusively within the national voluntary market<\/strong> (not in the EU ETS or CORSIA systems).<\/p>\n<\/div>

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  Eligible Activities (Summary)<\/h3>\n

  \n
  • \n

    Improved forest management:<\/strong> lengthening coppice rotation cycles, fire and pest prevention, regeneration protection, structural and compositional naturalisation, and natural recolonisation of degraded areas.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Long-lived wood products:<\/strong> structural uses with a minimum lifespan of \u226535 years<\/strong>, using nationally sourced material<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Afforestation and reforestation<\/strong>, permanent forestry<\/strong>, agroforestry systems<\/strong> (silvo-arable and silvo-pastoral systems with a density of 50\u2013150 trees\/ha), post-extreme event interventions<\/strong>, buffer strips<\/strong>, windbreaks<\/strong>, ecological corridors<\/strong>, and tree lines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

    <\/i>

    Not eligible:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
    • interventions with negative environmental or social impacts;<\/li>\n
    • reductions in harvesting not required by management plans or regulations;<\/li>\n
    • reforestation in wetlands;<\/li>\n
    • replacement of natural forests;<\/li>\n
    • mandatory interventions (EIA, SEA, compensations);<\/li>\n
    • planting of invasive alien species.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
      <\/div><\/div>

      <\/span><\/div>

      <\/div>

      A Clearer and More Reliable Market<\/h2>\n<\/div>

      With the implementation of the National Registry of Forest Carbon Credits<\/strong>, Italy finally fills a long-standing regulatory gap<\/strong>, bringing order to a previously fragmented market.
      The new Guidelines provide clear rules and consistent criteria<\/strong> for the creation and trading of carbon credits, ensuring that every project is based on verifiable scientific data<\/strong> and certified by independent bodies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      The public registry<\/strong> will be accessible online<\/strong>, offering full traceability and transparency<\/strong> for all registered projects.
      It will make it possible to identify who generates the credits<\/strong>, where interventions take place<\/strong>, and how much CO\u2082 is actually sequestered<\/strong>.
      This represents a decisive step in giving credibility<\/strong> to Italy\u2019s voluntary carbon market, while allowing companies, citizens, and public administrations<\/strong> to invest in high-quality environmental projects<\/strong> capable of generating tangible benefits for climate, biodiversity, and local communities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      Beyond serving as a regulatory tool, the Registry also acts as a driver of development<\/strong>: it will attract new investments<\/strong> to rural and forest areas, promoting sustainable and active forest management<\/strong> that can create employment, economic value, and territorial resilience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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      A Key Milestone of the LIFE ClimatePositive Project<\/h2>\n<\/div>

      The establishment of the National Registry of Forest Carbon Credits<\/strong> is not an endpoint but rather the result of a long and collaborative process<\/strong> carried out by a wide network of institutional and non-institutional actors<\/strong> working together to build a solid and transparent voluntary forest carbon market in Italy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      Within this process lies the LIFE ClimatePositive project<\/strong><\/a>, coordinated by Etifor<\/strong> and funded by the European Commission\u2019s LIFE Programme<\/strong>, which since 2022 has been strengthening and expanding the work already initiated by Etifor in support of CREA<\/strong> and the Carbon Monitoring Unit<\/strong>.
      Etifor has long contributed to working groups, supporting the development of the technical, scientific, and operational foundations<\/strong> for the implementation of the National Guidelines and co-authoring strategic documents such as the report \u201cProgetti forestali di sostenibilit\u00e0 in Italia.\u201d<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

      Through the LIFE ClimatePositive project, several essential tools have been developed to enable the practical implementation of the Registry, including:<\/p>\n

      \n
      • \n

        an analysis of regional forestry regulations<\/strong> to build a shared national baseline<\/strong>;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        the creation of the Carbon Tool<\/strong>, designed to estimate and monitor forest carbon stocks<\/strong>;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        and the testing of pilot projects<\/strong> applying sustainable forest management practices<\/strong>, which can serve as replicable models at the national scale<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        These tools, grounded in a robust and rigorous methodological framework<\/strong>, will be fundamental in guiding forest owners and managers<\/strong> in developing high-quality forest-based carbon credit projects<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

        The LIFE ClimatePositive project therefore represents a cornerstone in Italy\u2019s transition toward a climate- and biodiversity-positive economy<\/strong>, where sustainable forest and land management<\/strong> become fully integrated into national and European climate strategies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

        For more information on the project, visit www.lifeclimatepositive.it<\/a><\/strong> and subscribe to the newsletter.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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