Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU (Text with EEA relevance) (c. 841)

ANNEX VI U.K. CALCULATION OF BACKGROUND LEVELS FOR NATURAL DISTURBANCES

1.

For the calculation of the background level, the following information shall be provided:

(a)

historical levels of emissions caused by natural disturbances;

(b)

the type(s) of natural disturbance included in the estimation;

(c)

total annual emissions estimations for those natural disturbance types for the period from 2001 to 2020, listed by land accounting categories;

(d)

a demonstration of the time series consistency in all relevant parameters, including minimum area, emission estimation methodologies, coverages of carbon pools and gases.

2.

The background level is calculated as the average of the 2001-2020 time series excluding all years for which abnormal levels of emissions were recorded, i.e. excluding all statistical outliers. The identification of statistical outliers shall be undertaken as follows:

(a)

calculate the arithmetic average value and the standard deviation of the full time series 2001-2020;

(b)

exclude from the time series all years for which the annual emissions are outside twice the standard deviation around the average;

(c)

calculate again the arithmetic average value and the standard deviation of the time series 2001-2020 minus the years excluded in point (b);

(d)

repeat points (b) and (c) until no outliers can be identified.

3.

After calculating the background level pursuant to point 2 of this Annex, if emissions in a particular year in the periods from 2021 to 2025 and from 2026 to 2030 exceed the background level plus a margin, the amount of emissions exceeding the background level may be excluded in accordance with Article 10. The margin shall be equal to a probability level of 95 %.

4.

The following emissions shall not be excluded:

(a)

emissions resulting from harvesting and salvage logging activities that took place on land following the occurrence of natural disturbances;

(b)

emissions resulting from prescribed burning that took place on land in any year of the period from 2021 to 2025 or from 2026 to 2030;

(c)

emissions on lands that were subject to deforestation following the occurrence of natural disturbances.

5.

Information requirements pursuant to Article 10(2) include the following:

(a)

identification of all land areas affected by natural disturbances in that particular year, including their geographical location, the period and types of natural disturbances;

(b)

evidence that no deforestation has occurred during the rest of the period from 2021 to 2025 or from 2026 to 2030 on lands that were affected by natural disturbances and in respect of which emissions were excluded from accounting;

(c)

a description of verifiable methods and criteria to be used to identify deforestation on those lands in the subsequent years of the period from 2021 to 2025 or from 2026 to 2030;

(d)

where feasible, a description of measures the Member State undertook to prevent or limit the impact of those natural disturbances;

(e)

where feasible, a description of measures the Member State undertook to rehabilitate the lands affected by those natural disturbances.