Forests are sucking up much less carbon

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Axios or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: New data shows that the planet’s forests are absorbing significantly less carbon than in previous decades
• Historically, forests have removed around 30% of fossil fuel emissions annually, acting as a crucial carbon sink
• However, this capacity is now declining due to escalating climate stress and land-use pressures, according to recent analysis

🔭 The context: Forests serve as vital buffers against climate change by absorbing CO₂ through photosynthesis
• But rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, deforestation, wildfires, and pest outbreaks are weakening their ability to sequester carbon
• Tropical regions — particularly the Amazon and parts of Southeast Asia — are showing signs of carbon sink saturation or even net emissions due to degradation and land clearing

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: A decline in forest carbon uptake means more CO₂ remains in the atmosphere, accelerating global warming and narrowing the window to meet Paris Agreement targets
• It also undermines nature-based climate strategies, which many governments and corporations are relying on to offset residual emissions
• Restoring forests alone will not suffice without aggressive emissions reductions

⏭️ What's next: Scientists are urging policymakers to strengthen forest protection, reduce deforestation drivers, and enhance monitoring of forest carbon flows
• Integrated climate models may need updating to reflect reduced sink capacity
• This shift adds pressure on countries to pursue more ambitious mitigation efforts and diversify carbon removal strategies beyond natural ecosystems

💬 One quote: "In typical years, forests and other vegetation suck up roughly 30% of emissions from burning fossil fuels — but that natural buffer is weakening"

📈 One stat: Globally, forest carbon uptake has dropped significantly since the early 2000s, with some tropical regions transitioning from carbon sinks to carbon sources

Explore carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies on Data Hub™ — the first platform designed to help sustainability providers generate sales leads!

Click for more news covering the latest on carbon capture & storage and biodiversity