Beyond carbon capture: Harnessing trees and forests to fight climate change

Climate change has become a permanent fixture in our global discussions. This broad issue is complex and fraught with a variety of challenges.

However, in the mainstream, the concept of climate change is often oversimplified, with discussions around this multifaceted subject always coming back to one element: carbon.

As a major driver of the greenhouse effect and climate change, carbon and its capture and removal have understandably become a central figure in the climate change narrative. It is widely believed that if we could remove carbon from the air, climate change and many of its visible manifestations across the globe would disappear.

In fact, this is not a false assertion. As a global society, we urgently need to reduce emissions and sequester carbon. Engineering solutions like direct air capture will undermine this goal, and we absolutely need these technological solutions to continue fighting climate change.

But here’s the challenge: Emerging technology solutions, while important, serve the singular purpose of carbon removal and ignore the bigger picture.

Addressing climate change with such a narrow focus makes it nearly impossible to truly restore the health of the planet we all share. Our solutions to climate change must therefore be far-reaching and multifaceted: restoring ecosystems, protecting biodiversity and promoting human well-being. Trees, although physically rigid, are flexible in their uses and capable of meeting a variety of needs.

It’s this versatility that makes trees and forests the most comprehensive approach to combating climate change. They capture carbon while developing important habitats for animal species, improving physical and mental health, enhancing water quality and creating green jobs.

Trees are also more cost-effective than some technological solutions. According to a December 2023 McKinsey Sustainability report, current estimates of reforestation and afforestation costs range from $10 to $40 per ton of carbon. By comparison, direct air capture costs about $500-$1,000 per ton. So not only do trees slow down climate change, they are also affordable.

In short, it’s time we stop underestimating the value of trees.

We need forests, sometimes more than we realize. For example, the health of Colorado’s Pike National Forest is intrinsically linked to the quality and safety of Denver’s drinking water supply. In 2002, catastrophic wildfires swept through nearly 140,000 acres of Colorado forest, severely impacting Denver’s drinking water source and some problems remain. This is because forests play a vital role in watersheds, helping to filter and regulate water supplies for millions of people. important.

We know climate change is also exacerbating extreme heat in cities around the world. Researchers believe more than 356,000 people worldwide died from heat in 2019. Trees can also solve this problem by mitigating the urban heat island effect. European scientists believe the cooling power of tree cover can actually mean the difference between life and death.

In some parts of the world, climate change will also affect food supplies. Rising temperatures are already causing damage to many crops and are exacerbating water shortages and pest epidemics. Likewise, trees can solve these problems. Trees are home to more than 80% of land animals. Cultivating these habitats and diverse wildlife helps control pest populations and limit damage to crops. At the same time, trees help enhance rainwater penetration into the soil and restore groundwater reserves.

While trees and forests provide unique layered benefits, some tree-planting promises have drawn the ire of advocates of other forms of climate solutions. A major criticism of using trees as nature-based climate solutions is the time it takes for trees to grow large enough to start sequestering carbon. Although trees don’t immediately start storing large amounts of carbon, that doesn’t mean they’re inactive. From the moment they take root, trees are hard at work helping to correct the damage caused by climate change. Then, once mature, a single tree can sequester dozens of pounds of carbon a year.

But trees also offer something less tangible. I had the opportunity to visit the aforementioned Pike National Forest after another devastating wildfire in 2012, where I was working with some forest managers on a reforestation program. As we climbed over the top the view opened up and for miles all I could see were thousands of tiny pine trees climbing towards the sky. This once scorched and devastated region is seeing the next generation of forest emerge. We got out of the car and I will never forget the celebration and pride in the eyes of the forest manager. Together, these trees form a budding forest that rekindles a feeling of hope. What other climate solution could touch someone’s spirit so deeply?

It is important to emphasize that progress does not happen in silos. Despite their unique versatility and scalability, trees and forests are not, by themselves, a panacea for climate change. Ultimately, we need every available climate solution based on nature and engineering to drive this progress.

As many climate scientists declare, the fight against climate change is more urgent than ever. In this race against time, every ounce of innovation, every tree and every tool we have is critical to shaping a sustainable future.

Dan Lambe is the CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation.