Carbon
offsetting

The sustainable use of wetlands and peatlands can significantly contribute to Lithuania's international commitments to reduce GHG emissions.  

This would be an effective contribution to climate change mitigation. Wetlands that are not damaged by drainage are natural ecosystems that efficiently absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reliably store it in the storage of organic carbon - peat.

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CO2 offsets can be carried out on a voluntary basis by legal or natural persons emitting greenhouse gases who do not participate in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. In this way, these actors compensate for their negative effects on the environment and contribute to climate change mitigation.  

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CO2 is offset by projects that avoid greenhouse gas emissions or by sequestration of organic carbon. Restoration of drained wetlands is one such activity, as the peat accumulated in the damaged wetlands for thousands of years decomposes and enters the atmosphere in the form of gas.

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The impact on greenhouse gas emission reductions is calculated by estimating the reductions in emissions due to wetland restoration and initiated recovery processes up to 2050, when the Paris Agreement commitments will leave no drained wetlands.