Forests and climate change
The world's forests store a significant amount of carbon, approximately 662 gigatonnes according to FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, in living biomass, soil organic matter and dead wood. Over the past three decades, carbon stocks in forest biomass have decreased by nearly 6 gigatonnes, primarily due to deforestation and forest degradation.
Climate change has both positive and negative effects on forests. Variations in rainfall, temperature, and extreme weather events impact forest productivity, health and habitat suitability for species. Climate change also increases the risk of forest fires and the spread of forest pests, particularly in mountain, dryland, and coastal forests.
Predicted changes in climate are expected to exceed the natural adaptability of many forest species and ecosystems. In addition, extreme climate events and disasters may overwhelm countries' abilities to respond them effectively.
These challenges heighten the vulnerability of forest-dependent communities, necessitating policies and actions to enhance resilience through forests. SFM can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation by maintaining and increasing forest cover, thereby expanding the terrestrial carbon pool. This has made forest-related issues more prominent on the political agenda related to climate response.
Related topics and programmes
Mitigation and adaptation in the context of the Paris Agreement
In 2015, Parties to the UNFCCC made a significant agreement in Paris to combat climate change, recognizing the crucial role of land use in removing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from the atmosphere. The Paris Agreement promotes the development of strategies that address both climate change mitigation and adaptation through integrated and sustainable management of forests.
Central to the Paris Agreement are the nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which represent each country's efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change impacts. Integrating climate goals into national forest policies allows for a balance between forest management and climate objectives, creating opportunities for synergies with other forest-related processes including law enforcement, governance, and trade.
Forest products in climate change mitigation
Sustainably managed forests play a direct role in mitigating climate change, but they also contribute indirectly when their products replace carbon-intensive materials such as fossil fuels, steel, aluminum and plastics. The promotion of low-carbon fuels and products is a cornerstone of green economic development. Renewable wood-based energy constitutes the world’s most important source of bioenergy, with more than two billion people worldwide depending on wood energy for cooking and heating.
Trees capture carbon from the atmosphere, which can be stored in long-lasting wood products such as construction timber and furniture. This creates a wood-based carbon pool outside forests. When managed sustainably, the harvested forests regrow, sequestering additional carbon. Increasing the use of wood in long-lived applications is therefore another key strategy for climate-change mitigation and green economic development.
However, there is a huge gap between reality and the potential of forests and wood products in climate change mitigation. To close this gap, public policies, positive incentives and concerted efforts are needed to stimulate supply and demand of sustainable forest products and ecosystem services.
