In order to limit global climate change, we must not only rapidly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but also look for effective methods to sequester it, i.e. to capture and store it. International partners of the EU’s NACAO project learned about good practices in this field. This is the third time that stakeholders from the Świętokrzyskie region have met in Kielce to discuss which solutions can be applied in the region.

And we can draw on the experiences of Finland, Germany, France, Italy or Spain, because it is in such a group that the Świętokrzyskie region has been implementing project activities for over a year. Representatives of institutions related to nature and climate protection participate in meetings, workshops and study visits, during which they learn about effective methods of carbon offsetting based on nature.

The catalogue of good practices includes, for example, the restoration of green areas around schools and the creation of school gardens, urban reforestation, monitoring the proper use of food in public kindergartens, switching public transport to an electric fleet and promoting multi-family wooden housing.

The Polish accent is on the projects presented by the State Forests: Forests for Wetlands and Forest Carbon Farms. The latter are places where, through skilful planting, avoiding soil damage and increasing the amount of biomass, foresters enhance the natural CO2-absorbing capacity of forests. One hectare of forest absorbs about four tonnes of it each year. The second project focuses on the special protection of wet soils and water conditions within forest and wetland habitats. 100,000 hectares of land (6,000 hectares in the Świętokrzyskie region) are to be covered by these measures.

During the third meeting in Kielce, the regional partners had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with, among other things, the assumptions of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the City of Kielce up to 2030. They also learned about the work schedule for the next semester of project implementation. Ahead of them is a study visit to Bremen, Germany, and then – in June 2025 – the organisation of a seminar here in the region.

The NACAO – Nature-based Carbon Offsets – project is implemented as part of the Interreg Europe 2021-2027 programme and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The Polish partner of the project is the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship – Department of Regional Development in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Climate and Environment.