Last year has seen major shifts in EU policy-making processes, most notably the withdrawal of the legislative proposal for an EU Forest Monitoring Regulation in October 2025. Simultaneously, debates and delays surrounding the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) have created some level of uncertainty concerning the future of this policy. Meanwhile FCM stakeholders may wonder how the regulatory volatility may influence requirements for EO-based monitoring services.
Carbon Monitoring
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As unbelievable as it sounds, we have come to the end of the ESA Forest Carbon Monitoring project. It has been a long and rewarding journey. Over the past four years, the project designed and implemented a toolset for remote sensing-based forest structure and biomass monitoring. The toolset offers a selection of statistically robust methods for forest monitoring and carbon accounting, aiming to meet the varying requirements of different stakeholders.
The Forest Carbon Monitoring (FCM) project has been designing and implementing a versatile set of tools for EO-based forest structure and biomass monitoring. In the anticipation of the imminent publication of the FCM tools, we are happy to make available the FCM Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD). This document provides the scientific basis for the tools implemented in the project.
Next week, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) will organize the second edition of the conference on Earth Observation for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Removals (EO4MRV). Held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the 7-10 October 2025, the conference will bring together experts from across disciplines (scientific research, national GHG inventories, policy, and the private sector) to share insights, innovations, and experiences that support robust MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) systems for carbon removals in the EU.
Over the past years, the Forest Carbon Monitoring project (FCM) has been pioneering remote sensing-based, user-centric approaches for monitoring forests. By combining satellite imagery with reference data and scientific rigor, the project has been shaping a new era of forest carbon monitoring that is not just innovative, but practical and scalable.
The summer holiday season starts to be over, and we are entering the final three months of the Forest Carbon Monitoring (FCM) project. Publication of the FCM tools is one of the main objectives for the remaining time. You may have seen the term Forestry TEP mentioned several times on the FCM website. It is the processing platform where the FCM use case demonstrations have been run. It will also be the main interface to access the FCM tools after the project has ended.
At the Living Planet Symposium 2025, a packed Room 0.14 came to life early Thursday morning as stakeholders from across the forest, climate, and remote sensing sectors gathered for a networking session titled “Unlocking the Power of EO for Forest Carbon Monitoring.” Hosted by the European Space Agency’s Forest Carbon Monitoring (FCM) project, the session combined expert presentations, dynamic panel discussions, and audience engagement, showcasing how Earth Observation (EO) is transforming forest biomass and carbon monitoring.
One of the main objectives of the FCM project continuation was to extend the temporal range of the pan-European growing stock volume (GSV), above ground biomass (AGB) and below ground biomass (BGB) maps. We are happy to announce that this objective has been achieved as a set of new pan-European maps have been made available in the FCM product portal.
Forests play a vital role in regulating our climate, but monitoring their health and carbon storage is no simple task. In a new video from the Forest Carbon Monitoring (FCM) Project, users from two very different regions — Catalonia in Spain and the Colombian Amazon — share how they are working with the project’s Earth Observation tools to improve forest management and support climate action.
Join us at the upcoming Living Planet Symposium (LPS 2025) for a dynamic networking session showcasing our European Space Agency’s Forest Carbon Monitoring (FCM) project and our versatile toolset for Earth Observation (EO)-based forest biomass and carbon monitoring. Designed to support a wide spectrum of forestry stakeholders, our FCM tools address key needs from policy compliance reporting (e.g. CRCF, LULUCF), voluntary private-sector reporting, to scientific applications including digital twins and ecosystem analysis.