Forests - nature’s solution to carbon pollution

Forests cover 30 per cent of the Earth's land surface. They provide habitat to some 80 per cent of land-based species. They filter water, recycle rainfall and anchor the soil, and directly support the livelihoods and well-being of about 25 per cent of  humanity.

Forests are also one of the planet’s most powerful tools against climate change. Through photosynthesis, trees remove climate-warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen. By locking carbon pollution in trees, roots and soil, forests reduce the heat-trapping gases and regulate Earth’s temperature.

In the last decade alone, forests, plants and soil absorbed around 30 per cent of all carbon emissions generated by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities.

The tropical forests most at risk of being lost – “high-risk forests” across Asia, Latin America and Africa covering 391 million hectares, an area comparable to the size of the European Union – are also among the most essential to people and the planet. Protecting these forests greatly reduces carbon in the atmosphere and helps avoid an estimated $81 billion in climate-related damages annually.

 

Forests at risk

Forests have been cooling the planet for decades, but their role is increasingly under threat. The cutting down of trees – mostly to create land for agriculture and cattle, logging, infrastructure development, resource extraction and other land uses – is putting forests, and everything they provide, at risk.

At the same time, more extreme heat and droughts – due to climate change – are increasing the likelihood of forest fires. Fires accounted for almost half (44 per cent) of all tree cover loss between 2023 and 2024, a sharp increase from about a quarter in 2001-2022.

In the last two decades, the world has lost approximately 10 million hectares of tropical forest per year – an area the size of the Republic of Korea.

When trees are felled or burnt and decay, they release the carbon they have stored. It is estimated that globally deforestation and forest degradation account for around 11 per cent of CO2 emissions – more than the emissions from all means of transport combined.

The world’s forests risk shifting from a carbon sink to a carbon source. Portions of the Amazon rainforest, for example, are now releasing more carbon dioxide than they are storing, due to deforestation.

At the same time, the loss of trees means forests are no longer able to absorb as much carbon from the atmosphere as before, a double hit for the climate.

 

 

How to protect and restore forests

Even though they are vital for people, nature and the climate, forests are still not getting the funding they need. Annual investment in forests needs to triple from $84 billion in 2023 to $300 billion by 2030, and reach $498 billion by 2050 to meet global goals on climate, biodiversity, and land restoration.

Experts point to several key actions needed to reverse deforestation trends:

• Strong political leadership: Protecting forests requires long-term commitments that last beyond election cycles. Policies need to stay consistent, transparent, and accountable.
• Deforestation-free supply chains: Companies and consumers must make sure the products they produce and buy do not cause forest loss. New laws like the EU Deforestation Regulation (2026) block imports of goods linked to deforestation.
• Preventing and managing fires: Investing in early warning systems, fire-free farming methods, and community education can reduce the risk of wildfires.
• Stopping environmental crime: Stronger laws and better use of technology can help stop illegal logging, mining, and land grabbing that destroy forests.
• Financing forest protection: Initiatives like the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) aim to provide long-term, results-based funding for tropical forest countries, combining public and private investments.
• Supporting local forest economies: Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage about one-third of the world’s forests but receive very little funding. Giving them secure land rights, training, and access to sustainable business opportunities helps protect forests while supporting livelihoods.

 

COP30: Forests at the center of the action

The COP30 UN climate conference is taking place in Belém, in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest – a symbolic location intended to highlight the urgency of protecting forests and their role in the global climate.

At the conference, the host country, Brazil, is spearheading an initiative to transform the world's approach to environmental conservation. The Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF) seeks to compensate countries for preserving tropical forests, with 20 per cent of funds reserved for Indigenous peoples. More than 70 developing countries with tropical forests will be eligible to receive funds from what could be one of the largest multilateral funds ever created.

The Facility aims to deliver steady, predictable, long-term funding to countries that successfully reduce deforestation, helping them protect forests as essential assets for the climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.