It remains one of the most effective means of tackling climate change, particularly when it is designed to rely on green energy. This natural climate solution reduces the impact of desertification, supports ecosystems, and removes CO2 from the atmosphere. It is a countermeasure against deforestation, which has been contributing to climate change dramatically for the last few centuries.
Recently, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that 100 billion square meters of forest were cut down each year over the last decade, while tropical deforestation has contributed 8 percent of global carbon emissions.
In its August 2021 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made it clear that deforestation is a direct cause of the increased presence of CO2 in the air over the past decade, a rise incomparable to any other period in the past two million years. Forests are carbon sinks; they cycle damaging carbon out of the atmosphere and transform it into biomass through photosynthesis.
Afforestation can slow the impact of climate change while also addressing other environmental issues, such as barren land and soil erosion. Research from Crowther Lab showed that one trillion new trees could absorb one-third of CO2 emissions made by humans. In fact, an additional 25 percent of forested area could absorb 25 percent atmospheric carbon, making a significant impact on rising temperatures globally.
Establishing enough tree cover to make a sizeable impact on rising temperatures will require a global effort. Around the world, governments, the private sector, and local communities have started work on some promising projects.
For example, 1t.org aims to grow one trillion trees together with global communities, which would lead to the reduction of approximately 33 percent of global emissions required to meet the Paris Agreement targets. The organization works to motivate, mobilize, and enable private sector afforestation commitments by scaling plans, crowdsourcing solutions, and facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues.
WeForest's work is spread over three continents and twelve countries. It has the vision of creating “a world where communities and nature sustainably thrive together.” WeForest’s trifold approach includes integrating trees among farmland, performing high-density planting for ecological regeneration, and accelerating the natural recovery of degraded land. In 2020, the organization protected and restored 160 million square meters of forest.
The program also encourages public engagement: people can plant virtual trees using an app, and in return Hanwha plants real trees in vulnerable areas. 15,000 trees were planted in this way in the 8th Solar Forest during the pandemic – which means an extra 162 tons of CO2 will be absorbed every year once the carbon-neutral forest reaches maturity
A Guest Editorial