Our Projects
Nature is our best ally
Nature is essential for human existence and good quality of life. Failure to recognise this fact not only results in a model of economic growth that significantly contributes to the loss of biodiversity, it also misses the opportunity to effectively deploy nature in helping resolve major societal challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change, food security and disaster risk reduction.
Nature-based Solutions
1415 carry out solutions that help protect, manage and restore the environment as well as delivering real and sustainable benefits for people. The core idea for their use is to support nature and harness the power of healthy ecosystems to protect people and secure an environmentally friendly society.
Carbon farming
Carbon farming is a Nature-based solution and a green business model that rewards the actors of the land sector for taking up improved land management practices resulting in carbon sequestration in living biomass, dead organic matter and soils by enhancing carbon capture and/or reducing the release of carbon to the atmosphere (EU). 1415 work with a range of Nature-based solutions and offer a number of Carbon farming projects with additional biodiversity co-benefits.
P10 – Nature credits (Hybrid credits)
Underlying measures are designed to increase biodiversity, climate-adapt the forest and secure the carbon sink in actively managed forests. The nature credits also finance the introduction of alternative and adaptive forest management practices.
When working with forests that are actively managed, we introduce alternative management methods whilst simultaneously making sure that measures are carried out for biodiversity and climate adaptation. We build timber stock through keeping a part of the annual growth (annual net growth), and thereby strategically increasing the carbon sink. The standing volume is calculated and this sets the baseline when the agreement is signed with the landowner. The new standing volume is assessed annually and guaranteed by the forest owner for the next 20 years. The science based calculations are entirely based on government authorities’ data and models, which are used in the Swedish National Forest Inventory and by the Swedish Forest Agency. For the appropriate selection of measures to increase biodiversity, the methodology uses as its basis the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the Swedish Forest Agency programs.
The Swedish National Forest Inventory: Riksskogstaxeringen
Swedish Forest Agency – Skogsstyrelsen
“Investment in Nature is investment in people and their work to protect, conserve and restore the environment around them” (IAPB)
Governance: The Swedish Forest Agency and Nature Restoration Regulation
Target: Kunming-Montreal, EU Biodiversity Strategy, Global Sustainability Goals and Paris Agreement.
Operator: Initiative 1415, Sweden
Verification: Forest Certification Prosilva AB
Type of credit: Nature-based Hybrid-Credit
Activities: Increased forest biodiversity, climate adaptation and Alternative Forest Management.
Co-benefit Carbon sequestration.
Project 1: Tväråträsk – Sorsele Kommun – Västerbottens län
Project 2: Åflo – Krokoms Kommun – Jämtlands län
P10 - Project 1 map
Tväråträsk – Sorsele Kommun – Västerbottens län
Current available Hybrid-Credits: 6.744 ton CO2 eq
P10 - Project 2 map
Åflo – Krokoms Kommun – Jämtlands län
Current available Hybrid-Credits: 3.865 ton CO2 eq
Targets
Kunming – Montreal
Global Goals
Paris Agreement (Article 5)
EU Biodiversity Strategy
Description of Nature restoration and preservation of the carbon sink
We must be able to handle several things at the same time. We must preserve and enhance biodiversity and climate-adapt the forest. This involves the introduction of Alternative Forest Management methods. To be able to serve a market with sustainable wood products we need long-term strategies for sustainable active forestry.
We need to increase the forest biodiversity and create healthy ecosystems.
Implemented measures are based on government standards, prescribed by the Swedish Forest Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. These are combined with the Nature Restoration Regulation, Annex VII.
To meet the challenges of climate change, the forest needs to be adapted to be able to withstand significantly warmer temperatures. Forest needs to be managed in order to become more resilient, therefore Alternative Forest Management methods are introduced, such as patch-cutting and closer-to-nature forestry.
All issued Hybrid-credits are traceable to a geographical location on digital maps.
The baseline is defined as the total carbon stock in living tree biomass when agreements are signed between the operator and forest owners.
The models quantify the annual net change in the carbon sink on each property.
The net change is converted to a certificate whereby one certificate corresponds to one ton of CO2e. Issued certificates are guaranteed for a duration of at least 20 years.
Best available science, proven experience, and unique data from the Swedish national forest inventory is used together with forest-owners’ forestry plans (management plans), national laser scanning, own field measurements and
observations to support and verify the calculations.
To mitigate the risk of reversals, a reserve/buffer-pool is established of 10% of issued certificates.
Description of biodiversity measures recommended by state athorities such as the Swedísh Forest Agency and the Nature Restoration Regulation. The table describes measures and effects.
Source: Initiative 1415 Guidande Document for Hybrid-Credits 1:10
P11 - Afforestation
Afforestration is an effective way to increase the biogenic carbon sink in the long term. To support biodiversity and climate adaptation, at least 15% of the area is planted with willow, rowan and other deciduous trees. The carbon stock build-up is estimated at 200 tons (200,000 kg) of CO2-eq per hectare or 100 kg per plant.
Trees play a critical role in combating climate change and preserving biodiversity. Trees are important for contributing to ecosystem services and the removal of carbon from the atmosphere.
P21 - Project Nature Restoration
A project that preserves and enhances biodiversity within four areas with adapted measures for each area are included in the project. Measures based on guidelines and recommendations established by the Swedish EPA, The Swedish Forest Agency and County Administrative Board. The measures can be implemented at different locations.
Measures included in the project are as follows:
- Specific measures for our most endangered species
- Conservation burning
- Restoration of key biotopes and rich-bogs
Specific measures for our most endangered species
We need to strengthen habitats at specific locations. We can also assist endangered species by implementing breeding programs for birds and providing supplementary feeding. We need to increase the amount of deciduous forests and support a higher proportion of dead wood. Collaboration with several other actors is important, such as the County Administrative Board, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and landowners.
Conservation burning – creating deadwood
Natural forest fires have decreased over the past 150 years. This means that dead wood habitats for many saproxylic organisms and ecosystems are now threatened. With controlled conservation burning, we can preserve unique habitats for future generations, and increase and preserve biodiversity.
Conservation burning involves a planned fire within a defined area. Conservation burning in forests is carried out under controlled and safe conditions in order to limit the occurrence of uncontrollable natural forest fires.
Forest fires benefit species and natural habitats that need sparse forests, fire fields and dead trees. After a fire, the forest becomes more open, bright and warm. The area gains many new dead trees, on which many species depend, and is something that is scarce in today’s forests.
Naturvårdsbränning- Vägledning för brand och bränning i skyddad skog ISBN 91-620-5438-4
Restoration of key biotopes and rich bogs/calcareous fens
To preserve the biodiversity and status of rich bogs /calcareous fens and Key Biotopes, continuous management and measures are required. 1415 follows the recommendations of the County Administrative Board, SLU, the Swedish Forest Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
Calcareous fens are wet, particularly rich in species that thrive in marsh environments, and are often found on calcareous soil. Rich bogs get their name from their richness in species, out of which the most famous and interesting species are the orchids. Several of them only occur in rich bogs, such as waxworts, bloodworts, knot flowers and marsh knotwort. A key biotope is a forest area with high natural values that is important for the forest’s flora and fauna. The Swedish Forest Agency have inventoried and registered key biotopes since the early 1990s and the information is collected in a database, with maps:
Handbok för skötsel och restaurering av rikkärr restaurering av rikkärr
Åtgärdsprogram för bevarande av rikkärr ISBN 91-620-5601-8
Nyckelbiotopens skötsel – SLU Play – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Project 31- Monitoring of endangered Swedish flora and fighting invasive species.
The project involves gathering information over time in order to gain a deeper understanding and increase knowledge of endangered Swedish flora. Monitoring, reporting, and verifying observations are central activities for successful protection of endangered Swedish wild plants, their natural habitats, and the ecosystem services they provide. In addition to the above, part of the project involves fighting invasive alien species.
What the money is used for: Financial compensation to individuals who monitor, report, and verify threatened Swedish flora, which is done in collaboration with the Swedish Botanical Society (Svenska Botaniska Föreningen) and the Flora Guardians (Floraväktarna). Written agreements are signed with landowners regarding the control of invasive species, which involves the digging up, removal and burning of invasive species.
Project duration: 1-5 years
Price upon request.
Geography: Sweden
Information on the Status of Endangered Swedish Plants – Monitoring
Conservation status for a particular species is a measure of the probability of that endangered species surviving. Many factors are considered when assessing the conservation status of a species, not only the number of remaining individuals, but also the increase or decrease in the population over time, breeding success, known threats, etc.
SLU – Swedish Species Information Centre (Artdatabanken)
SLU Centrum för biologisk mångfald, CBM | slu.se
Red-listed species – Sweden’s Environmental Objectives
(The Red List is the most well-known conservation status listing)
Rödlistade arter – Sveriges miljömål
Fighting invasive species
Explore plant life, news and events – Swedish Botany
Fighting invasive species
Invasive species are considered one of the absolute biggest threats to biodiversity. They can increase significantly and thus affect biodiversity. They can damage other native species and their ecosystems as well as have negative effects on agriculture and forestry. 1415 work actively to fight invasive species in order to minimize the risks of them spreading and follow The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
P41 - Wild Pollinators
Projects to preserve and enhance the habitats of Wild Pollinators in the agricultural landscape.
To support food security and ecosystem resilience
The European Commission, in January 2023, presented ‘A New Deal for Pollinators’ to tackle the alarming decline in wild pollinating insects in Europe. It complements the Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law, of June 2022, and forms a key part of the Biodiversity Strategy 2030, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the European Green Deal. The revised EU Pollinators Initiative sets objectives for 2030 and actions under three priorities. The key priority is improving pollinator conservation and tackling the causes of their decline. This will be done through:
- Better conservation of species and habitats – for example, the Commission will finalise conservation plans for threatened pollinator species; it will identify pollinators typical of habitats protected under the Habitats Directive which Member States should protect; and the Commission jointly with Member States will prepare blueprint for a network of ecological corridors for pollinators, or ‘Buzz Lines'.
- Restoring habitats in agricultural landscapes – notably through more support for pollinator-friendly farming under the Common Agricultural Policy.
- Mitigating the impact of pesticide use on pollinators – for example through legal requirements to implement integrated pest management or through additional test methods for determining the toxicity of pesticides for pollinators, including sub-lethal and chronic effects. As the excessive use of pesticides is a key driver of pollinator loss, reducing the risk and use of pesticides as per the Commission’s Sustainable Use of Pesticides proposal will be critical.
- Enhancing pollinator habitats in urban areas.
- Tackling the impacts on pollinators of climate change, invasive alien species and other threats such as biocides or light pollution.
To preserve and enhance the habitats of wild pollinators in the agricultural landscape.
Measures include:
- Sowing in bee-field mixtures
- Creating traditional flower meadows (hay meadows)
- Placing strawbales
- Establishing sandbeds
- Creating beetle-banks
- Planting a variety of decideous trees (for example oak, willlow, rowan)
- Planting various bushes
- Establishing fauna-depots
All projects are conducted in close dialogue with the County Administrative Board. Before the projects start, the site is examined to see if there are already existing high natural values that need to be preserved and enhanced in addition to the measures to be implemented.
Water purification in agriculture landscape (WP 100)
Improved water quality through minimising leakage and negative health effects.
A project with a direct effect on the water we drink och swim in.
The water we are talking about is often on the dinner table, and we take for granted that it should be of high quality, but that is not what reality looks like.
The journey of water begins earlier, as rainwater carries pollutants via watercourses out into lakes where we, our children, and our grandchildren swim. In many cases, municipalities take water from these lakes, purify it, and deliver it to residents, but in many cases, it still contains traces of chemicals.
This project contributes to creating clean water in our lakes and groundwater. The project is carried out in watercourses that run through the agricultural landscape. Before the project begins, water samples are taken, and based on the results of the water samples, it is determined which measures for improved water quality will be implemented in consultation with the County Administrative Board.
Nutrients from fertilizers spread on agricultural land, and chemicals (PFAS) spread by rainwater to our lakes and groundwater need to be captured. At a specific location in a watercourse, filters are installed that capture nitrogen, phosphorus, and chemicals (PFAS).
These leaks are the most significant cause of algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and bottom death (benthic death), and PFAS shows an increased risk of cancer and a negative impact on the human immune system.
Price: Upon request
Project length: 10 years
Geography: Sweden
Migration Barriers – Water Project 400
Remediate and improve fish passage by removing barriers that restrict the free movement of aquatic organisms up- and downstream.
Fish (such as trout, northern pike, and perch) need to migrate to find food, seek shelter during the winter, and reach their spawning grounds to reproduce. When natural river stretches are restored, oxygenation of the riverbed increases, benefiting not only fish but also species like the freshwater pearl mussel, thereby promoting biodiversity.
The project involves implementing measures in and around migration barriers, where barriers are either removed or modified to ensure accessible migration routes. Common examples of migration barriers include dams, roads, and poorly designed culverts. To address these barriers, one can replace culverts, create thresholds to raise the water level, or clear the watercourse of obstacles. It is vital to maintain the natural width and flow velocity of the watercourse to ensure effective fauna passage and improve ecosystem function.
The County Administrative Board knows how to address the migration barriers, and Initiative 1415 maintains a close dialogue with this authority regarding which barriers should be prioritized and how the implementation should be carried out.
Price: On request
Project length: 1 year
Geography: Sweden