Urban context and neighbouring lands: how reforestation could have a role in the implementation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans

Abstract

Reforestation is the appropriate natural tool to mitigate the climate change. The authors illustrate how to manage cuts and plantations of trees making profit from unused lands, to reach different carbon capture goals. Unused lands, moreover, are frequently in the neighbouring of Municipalities which often are politically responsible of these territories. Their destination as carbon sink inside the implementation of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) is particularly suitable, participating in a synergic way to reduce the CO2 municipal emissions by 55 % in 2030 with respect to the 1990 datum. In the framework of a SECAP, this level is mandatory and participates to the common huge effort to decarbonize energy needs. After having modelled some intrinsic aspects related to the dynamics of the carbon capture due to the growth of trees, the research demonstrated how, with a proper management of cuts and plantations, a new concept of mutualism between city and territory can be designed, recognizing the crucial role of neighbouring unused lands alongside those direct actions usually implemented to reduce the carbon intensity of a city.