The science is clear: Intact forests—especially tropical forests—are crucial to fighting climate change.
Forests are one of the best carbon-capture technologies on Earth—and the most cost-efficient. As they grow, trees capture carbon dioxide, keeping it from seeping into the atmosphere and accelerating global heating.
But when we cut down forests, we are not only losing an amazing carbon-storage tool. We’re also creating emissions, since the felled trees release into the atmosphere all the carbon they’d been storing. What the deforesters do with those trees—either leaving them to rot on the forest floor or burning them—creates further emissions. All told, deforestation causes about 10 percent of worldwide emissions.
Our future depends on what we do now. Conserving the world’s remaining forests is essential to the future of humanity. Join the Rainforest Alliance and help create a better future for people and nature. You’ll receive updates on our work and ways you can get involved.
