The project’s GFarm for LIFE opening event – Kick-off meeting will take place on the 20th of September, 2023, at Senatorių pasažas in Vilnius. During this event, the coordinator, partners, and honorable guests will discuss the main goal: to develop a systematic ecosystem model for a more accurate and reliable assessment and register of GHG in agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector and design a framework for a national carbon absorption certification and monitoring.
The welcome speech will be given by the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania Simonas Gentvilas. Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as of the partners participating in the project, will share their insights during presentations and a discussion.
“The Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector represents 20-24% of total emissions globally and is the largest emitting sector after energy. The same sector, covering all of Lithuania’s territory and agricultural land, is vital for climate change mitigation, absorbing greenhouse gasses (GHG) in soil, biomass, and wood. A Certification of Carbon Removals and a systematic ecosystem model for a more accurate and reliable assessment and register of national GHG in the AFOLU sector is needed. This underscores the importance of sustainable land management in achieving climate goals and shaping a resilient AFOLU sector. Supporting these initiatives and projects like GFarm for LIFE is crucial for a sustainable and climate-resilient future in Lithuania and Europe”, says Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, the CEO of AgriFood Lithuania, who coordinates the project.
Also, during the opening event – Kick-off meeting, it is planned to discuss the strategic challenge of the project: achieving national and EU climate change mitigation and adaptation targets by enabling systemic change in part of Lithuania’s AFOLU sector and governance regarding GHG emission reduction and implementing carbon farming initiatives.
The agenda of the first part of the event will be followed by the project’s partners’ meeting, where the team will present themselves and the working plan for each WP, discuss already achieved results and milestones, current tasks and upcoming deliverables.
Gfarm For Life Project Kick-Off Event
Venue: Senatorių pasažas, Dominikonų str. 11, Vilnius
08:30-09:30 Breakfast
09:30-09:40 Opening ceremony
Event moderator Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, CEO of AgriFood Lithuania DIH
09:40-09:55 Welcome speech
Kęstutis Šetkus, Vice-Minister of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania
09:55-10:10 Climate Change Management Policy. Objectives and challenges.
Vilija Augutavičienė, Head of the Climate Policy Group at the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania
10:10-10:20 Policy Relevance of Carbon Farming in Lithuania
Tadas Švilpauskas, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania
10:20-10:50 GFarm. Is this an opportunity for Lithuania to stand out in Europe?
Augustas Alešiūnas, innovative entrepreneur, business angel, and startup ecosystem expert
10:50-11:10 A model of GHG emissions and CO2 absorption accounting suitable for national accounting
Vice-Dean Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rytis Skominas, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy
11:10-11:25 The significance of GFarm for the work of the State Forest Service
Saulius Vasiliauskas, Director of the State Forest Service
11:25-11:50 Panel discussion. The importance of national GHG accounting and certification of carbon sinks for the Lithuanian Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) sector
Kęstutis Šetkus, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania
Valdas Kaubrė, CEO of the State Forest Enterprise
Saulius Vasiliauskas, Director of the State Forest Service
Donatas Dailidė, CEO of DOJUS Group
11:50-12:00 Closing remarks
Event moderator Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, CEO of AgriFood Lithuania DIH
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-16:00 Project partners working session