F.A.Q

Europe's forest operators play a crucial role in climate protection by locally producing the valuable raw material timber. Faunus, in accordance with science, is firmly dedicated to sustainable and nature-friendly forest management as the optimal approach to reach our climate objectives in time. Europe's forests have been strongly in:uenced by man since centuries and need active management to keep them stable and to achieve a transition towards a more resilient and closer-to nature composition without collapsing. Rewilding or complete conservation ('logged to protected') does not inherently result in real net climate benefits, making it no universally applicable solution for the sake of climate protection. Nonetheless, selected conservation in appropriate areas can be considered a viable option to promote biodiversity.

The fundamental basis for a successful climate forest project is robust data. A safe project requires up-to-date forest inventory data or management plans that reflect the changes in the forest of the past years and give a realistic picture of the current situation. Romanian forests have excellent data, assuring a high quality basis for climate projects.

Neither. Almost every forest is suitable for a Faunus EcoForest project, as almost all woodlands can benefit from climate-fit forest management and a moderate, stable stock build-up. Also the promotion of biodiversity will have a positive impact on each forest. The Faunus concept is customized for each forest, allowing for projects even with specific forms like coppice or continuous cover.

Numerous forests in Europe are presently ill-equipped for the impending climate crisis, requiring proactive forest conversion to prevent them from becoming unstable and emitting CO2. Leaving dense, over-aged forests in their current state to create carbon credits from "CO2 storage" (avoidance) is often very short-sighted ans risky.On top, the EU has by now clearly stated, that avoidance credits from forests will not be recognized by the coming EUCRCF framework and informed European market players have already reacted, showing reluctance in buying forest avoidance credits. We think that climate projects should be designed with a long-term perspective, for the safety of both buyers and forest owners. CO2 projects should never compromise the stability and long-term sustainability of a forest.

No. There are no stand-level specifications or individual measures dictated by the project. Concrete specifications at the stand level would be overly restrictive for the foresters and thus impractical. Forestry needs adequate flexibility on the operational level and the Faunus system assures this. The Faunus EcoForest is a comprehensive framework concept that aims to achieve the desired additional climate performance (carbon capture) on forest level while considering necessary practicability and without limiting operators in their management. There are no strict obligatory measures regarding the yearly amount of postponed harvest. Each year the forest business can decide, how much of its harvest it wants to postpone to create carbon credits.

Forest management requires operational :exibility to respond to price :uctuations and calamities, among other factors. This :exibility is provided by the Faunus EcoForest Project. The agreed carbon management plan serves as a guidance to achieve the targeted annual climate performance of the forest in a secure and sustainable manner, it is not binding. If in some years additional harvesting becomes necessary, it can be done within the guidelines of the project. Carbon credits are generated at the end of the year based on the actual and real climate performance of the climate forest, not some modelled averages. Each year the forest operator has the freedom to create fewer carbon credits and harvest more instead. Similarly, more carbon credits can be generated in a year by harvesting less.

Forests are among the most powerful and scalable natural climate solutions: Terrestrial ecosystems absorb ~30% of all human CO₂ emissions annually, with forests responsible for the majority. Between 2000–2007, forests removed 8.8 Gt CO₂e per year of a total of 9.5 Gt of CO₂ equivalents from the global atmosphere — a critical natural buffer against climate change. Without immediate action, up to 77% of global forest carbon sink capacity may be lost by 2100. FAUNUS projects help protect and strengthen this natural climate engine, directly in Romania.

FAUNUS credits are: 100% carbon removal, not avoidance, ex-post, based on measured and verified carbon actually stored in forests, aligned with ISO 14064-2:2019, validated and verified by DEKRA Germany, fully traceable and Romania-based, conservatively quantified using transparent baselines and real inventory data. This ensures stronger credibility, audit-readiness, and ESG compliance.

Yes — FAUNUS credits enable companies to make contribution claims and, after verification, compensation/neutralization claims, provided they are communicated accurately and responsibly. Contribution Claim Examples: 'By purchasing FAUNUS credits, we support the storage of 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ in independently verified Romanian climate forest projects.' or 'Through FAUNUS carbon removals, we contribute to national climate targets while advancing our long-term sustainability commitments.' Companies should clearly state: the amount of CO₂ removed, that FAUNUS follows ISO 14064-2 and DEKRA verification, that climate benefits count exclusively toward Romania's national inventory. Compensation/Neutralization Claims are available after the first verified project year, when monitored results meet UNFCCC-grade accuracy. Example: 'In 2032, we voluntarily neutralize 20,000 tonnes of unavoidable CO₂ emissions using FAUNUS credits.'

FAUNUS recommends: Scope 1 (direct emissions) - suitable, Scope 2 (electricity, heat, steam) - suitable where applicable, Scope 3 - possible, based on company policy and materiality. Credits should not replace reductions but complement them for residual emissions.

Yes. FAUNUS credits support CSRD-aligned reporting because they provide: verified climate impact, traceability, additionality demonstration, alignment with upcoming EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework (EUCRCF), clear documentation for assurance auditors. FAUNUS credits cannot be double-counted and support transparent corporate disclosures.

Many low-cost offsets suffer from: lack of additionality, double counting, poor monitoring, avoidance-based accounting, risks of greenwashing. FAUNUS solves these issues by offering: Romanian, verifiable, science-based carbon removals, independent DEKRA verification, ex-post issuance only, no speculative future promises. This protects companies from reputational and compliance risks.

FAUNUS projects operate over minimum 30-year activity periods, with: conservative harvesting reduction, climate-fit species promotion, stability-oriented silviculture, annual monitoring, mandatory long-term stock maintenance. These measures ensure durable carbon storage aligned with scientific expectations.

Yes. FAUNUS projects contribute to healthier and more resilient forests, increased biodiversity, improved habitat for native species, better water retention, support for rural forestry communities, promotion of traditional Romanian silviculture.

Carbon removals are calculated using: the legal harvesting levels in the forest management plan (baseline) and the actual reduced harvesting levels implemented by forest owners (project scenario). The difference between the two equals the ex-post additional carbon stored, expressed in tonnes CO₂e. All calculations are verified by DEKRA.

FAUNUS credits are ideal for: Romanian and European industrial emitters, energy, utilities, oil & gas, manufacturing and logistics, real estate, construction, retail, transportation, multinational companies with Romanian operations, any organization committed to high-integrity climate action.

The process is simple: Define annual or multi-year CO₂ neutralization needs, Request available project volume, Receive DEKRA-backed documentation, Purchase verified or validated credits, Integrate the credits into sustainability reporting.