Deforestation and CO2 Emissions

Fire used to clear forests in Sumatra, Indonesia, for palm oil plantations © Greenpeace/Novis

Most CO2 emissions from deforestation stem from the destruction of tropical forests. While some forests are logged, many are simply burned to make room for industrial agriculture like cattle ranching and palm oil plantations – two leading causes of tropical deforestation. This burning emits massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Logging can also raise the risk of fire by drying out and heating up forests by removing trees that create shade and store moisture. In addition, logging activities – from the deliberate burning of leftover “slash,” to accidental sparks from machinery – increase unnatural fires and CO2 emissions.

As global warming leads to hotter, drier summers, northern forests like the Canadian Boreal may experience bigger, more frequent fires. The Boreal, which locks up billions of tons of carbon, is the single largest storehouse of carbon on land. If the Boreal burns, global warming could increase, raising the likelihood of more fires. This vicious cycle of CO2 emissions from forest fires and global warming has been called a ticking “carbon bomb.”