The Catastrophe of 2024: Record Forest Loss and Its CO₂ Consequences
In 2024, 10 million hectares of forest were permanently destroyed worldwide—this represents real, irreversible forest loss, as these areas were converted to agriculture, settlements, or infrastructure. Particularly alarming: 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forest were lost, with the rest coming from other forest types.
The CO₂ Consequences of Real Forest Loss
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Immediate CO₂ Release:
The clearing and destruction of these 10 million hectares of forest in 2024 released about 4.2 billion tons of CO₂.
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Tropical primary forest (6.7 million ha): approx. 3.1 billion t CO₂
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Other forests (3.3 million ha): approx. 1.1 billion t CO₂
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Loss of Future CO₂ Sequestration:
The permanent loss of these forests means an annual loss of around 7 billion tons of CO₂ sequestration capacity.
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Primary forests: 6.7 million ha × 734 t CO₂/ha/year ≈ 4.9 billion t CO₂/year
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Other forests: 3.3 million ha × 600 t CO₂/ha/year (estimate) ≈ 2.0 billion t CO₂/year
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Why Compensation Is Impossible
In theory, the cleared areas could be reforested – but:
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Young forests sequester only about 9 t CO₂/ha/year on average.
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To offset the annual sequestration loss of 7 billion tons of CO₂, we would need:
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778 million hectares of new reforestation—5.2% of the Earth’s land area, equivalent to 22 times the size of Germany.
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The Reality:
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The 10 million hectares cleared are not enough to compensate for the loss if replanted—they would sequester only about 90 million t CO₂ per year as young forests.
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It is physically and ecologically impossible to reforest an area the size of Western Europe every year to offset the annual sequestration loss.
The Bitter Truth
“Replacing the annual sequestration of 7 billion tons of CO₂ by 10 million hectares of forest is practically impossible.”
The Only Solution: Protection Instead of Compensation
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Preserve existing forests: Every hectare of protected forest saves hundreds of tons of CO₂ sequestration per year.
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Stop deforestation: The 4.2 billion tons of CO₂ released by clearings (2024) are avoidable.
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Accelerate restoration: Restore degraded areas—but as a supplement, not a substitute.
Conclusion: The Mathematics Is Relentless
No matter how ambitious, reforestation cannot compensate for the real loss of old forests. Only the immediate halt of deforestation and the consistent protection of existing forests can save the climate.
Become a guardian of the Earth – fight for forest protection!
Author: Francesco del Orbe
Graphic: World Resources Institute / public domain
