Forest carbon’s back-end durability problem
by Zeke Hausfather, on theclimatebrink.com, March 19, 2024
„The natural world is a key ally in combating climate change. Studies estimate that reforestation – restoring areas where forests have been removed or fragmented – could remove upwards of 300 gigatons of CO2 (GtCO2) from the atmosphere. Even more could be removed by protecting existing forests and allowing to recover and maturity. The world needs to invest more in protecting the forests we have and restoring those that have been degraded. However, the way we have chosen to finance it – by selling offsets into voluntary or compliance markets – introduces unintended consequences that could undermine our ability to stabilize global temperatures and achieve our climate goals.“