This article was written by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The world has lost 420 million hectares of forests since 1990, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
Trees are some of the planet’s most important warehouses of carbon, absorbing it from the air via photosynthesis and storing it in their leaves, roots and trunks.
Yet, every year, 10 million hectares of forests are cleared by humans—an area equivalent to the size of Portugal. This is devastating for wildlife and the billions of people who rely on forests for food, water, and other essentials.
But the consequences go even further: deforestation releases more than 5.6 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, exceeding the emissions from aviation and shipping combined.
Protecting and restoring forests could cut emissions by 4 gigatonnes annually, making it one of the most impactful nature-based solutions.
UNEP data shows that based on current national commitments, the planet could warm from 2.5°C to 2.9°C this century, well above the goals of the Paris Agreement and enough to trigger widespread climate chaos.
To keep global warming below 1.5°C, a key goal of the Paris Agreement, the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 22 gigatonnes annually by 2030.
Halting deforestation could reduce emissions by 4 gigatonnes a year, according to the UN-REDD Programme, a partnership between UNEP, the UN Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
Protecting and restoring forests is one of many nature-based solutions that countries can use to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
A new round of climate pledges this year presents a critical moment for action and experts are urging countries to seize this opportunity to set ambitious targets for ending deforestation and restoring forests.
Picture: Beautiful Forests