Tropical Forest Loss in 2023

Tropical forests are vital to our planet. These lush green expanses are home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s biodiversity. They play a critical role in absorbing large amounts of Tagar#carbondioxide and producing oxygen, making them indispensable for maintaining global ecological balance.

Despite some progress, particularly in Brazil, where forest loss decreased by 36% from 2022, the global picture remains alarming. In 2023, we lost a total of 3.75 million hectares of tropical forest—equivalent to almost 10 football (soccer) fields of forest per minute. This forest loss generated 2.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, almost half of the United States’ annual fossil fuel emissions.

In 2021, leaders from 145 countries pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030, the Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use. With only six years left to meet this ambitious goal, it’s crucial to intensify our efforts. The future of our planet depends on it.
Credit to Roberta Boscolo