Restoring Forests Could Capture Significant Carbon, But Emission Cuts Are Essential

New Study Suggests Community-Driven Restoration Is Key to Tackling Climate and Biodiversity Crises

Restoring global forests where they occur naturally could potentially capture an additional 226 gigatons of planet-warming carbon, equivalent to about a third of the amount that humans have released since the beginning of the Industrial Era.
The new research drew on input from more than 200 authors and leveraged vast troves of data collected by satellites and on the ground.
The 226 gigatons of storage cannot be achieved without cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Forests are essential to tackling both the climate and biodiversity crises.
Restoration should be driven by local communities that choose to work in concert with nature to help themselves.