•This is a common refrain that suits efforts to protect the world’s forests well.
•While urbanized people generally only think about forests as shady refuges from the stresses of modern life, many of those living in and around forests rely on them to maintain their livelihoods. Ultimately though, wherever we live, we all have a stake in the future of forests as they serve a critical role in preventing the whole planet heating to dangerous levels.
•This is because forests can act as both sinks storing carbon dioxide, thereby reducing greenhouse gas concentrations, and as greenhouse gas emitters if they are cut down or burnt on a large scale. Their survival is critical in dealing with climate change. Forests currently absorb 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, equivalent to about a third of the amount released annually by burning fossil fuels. At the same time, deforestation contributes to nearly 24 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions from land-use activities — more than that emitted by the world’s entire transport sector.