How are European forests affecting the EU's climate goals?

European forests are absorbing around a third less CO2 in recent years compared to the 2010-2014 period, putting the EU's net-zero emissions target by 2050 at risk.

What factors are damaging European forests?

Increased logging, more frequent wildfires, prolonged droughts, and pest outbreaks are all depleting the carbon absorption capacity of European forests.

What is the EU doing to address the declining carbon sink in its forests?

The EU is negotiating a new, legally-binding 2040 climate target that aims to use forests to offset pollution, but some experts warn this may not be possible given the current trends.

Home / Environment / Forests Fail to Offset EU Emissions as Climate Impacts Intensify

Forests Fail to Offset EU Emissions as Climate Impacts Intensify

30 Jul

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Summary

Forests absorbing 1/3 less CO2 in 2020-2022 vs. 2010-2014
Damage from logging, wildfires, drought, and pests reducing forests' carbon absorption
EU's climate targets at risk as forests can't offset enough emissions

Damage to European forests is compromising their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, jeopardizing the European Union's ambitious emissions reduction targets. According to a recent study, the average annual amount of CO2 Europe's forests removed from the atmosphere in 2020-2022 was nearly a third lower than in the 2010-2014 period, falling to around 332 million net tonnes per year.

This decline is attributed to a range of factors, including increased logging, more frequent and severe wildfires, prolonged droughts, and pest outbreaks - all of which are exacerbated by climate change. These impacts are depleting forests' capacity to act as a natural carbon sink, which the EU had been counting on to help offset emissions from industry and other sectors.

Experts warn that the EU's climate goals, which rely on an expanding carbon absorption by forests, are now at risk. Currently, Europe's land and forestry sector offsets around 6% of the EU's annual greenhouse gas emissions, but the gap between this and the 8% needed to meet climate targets is expected to widen further by 2030. Policymakers are now grappling with how to address this challenge, as many of the factors affecting forests are beyond their direct control.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.