- As part of its sustainability strategy, trans-o-flex Expressdienst is funding the conversion of a pine monoculture in Brandenburg into a climate-resilient mixed forest
- Digital twins are used to calculate climate benefits
Weinheim, 4 December 2023. As part of its sustainability strategy, trans-o-flex Expressdienst, which specialises in the pharmaceuticals and healthcare, cosmetics, electronics and other sensitive goods sectors, is funding the conversion of more than 27 hectares of forest in Germany this year. The aim is to transform an area of forest in Brandenburg, which is currently a monoculture of pine trees, into a forest with a future – namely, one that stores more CO2 than before, is better adapted to climate change and allows for more biodiversity. “Up to now, we have always offset our CO2 emissions through certified projects in the southern hemisphere,” says Wolfgang P. Albeck, CEO of trans-o-flex. “With the project in Brandenburg, we want to make climate protection more tangible for our customers. The offsetting of climate‑damaging emissions, for which our customers pay, should not take place just anywhere in the world, but in the country where the emissions are generated.”
For the Luckaitz Valley project, trans-o-flex is working with Pina Earth, a Munich‑based company that specialises in forest conversion projects. “There were two main reasons for choosing Pina Earth,” explains Albeck. “Our customers have been asking us about local sustainability initiatives that are more tangible to them than, say, a carbon offset project in India. In addition, trans-o-flex’s sustainability strategy not only aims to reduce CO2 emissions, but also to support other UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pina Earth’s projects meet both of these requirements.”
The Luckaitz Valley is about 75 kilometres from Berlin and borders on Calau Switzerland to the south. Pine trees of uniform height currently make up 94 per cent of the trees. Compared to mixed forests, these forests are much more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as heat stress, storms and pests. The Luckaitz Valley climate protection project is therefore planting six additional tree species, encouraging natural regeneration and managing wildlife to reduce damage from game. Overall, the project aims to increase biodiversity by 470 per cent. The bottom line is that the climate protection project offsets CO2 emissions by reducing the climate risk of the forest and absorbing additional CO2 from the atmosphere by increasing the structural diversity of the forest. Thanks to trans-o-flex’s contribution, 270,225 square metres of forest can be made fit for the future.
To calculate the CO2 storage capacity, Pina Earth simulates two scenarios over a 30-year period using digital twins. The storage capacity is calculated once without and once with forest conversion. The additional CO2 storage capacity is the difference between the two scenarios.
All assumptions and calculations are based on scientific publications and have been audited and validated by the independent auditor TÜV Nord. The progress of the project is regularly documented by new data surveys of the area and compared with the results of the simulation. All updates are publicly available on the Pina Earth forest dashboard.
