CO and climate change
Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO), along with other pollutants, are considered the most important drivers of global warming. Compared with the level before the start of industrialization, the average temperature in the earth’s atmosphere has already risen by 1.2 degrees to date. AsCO2 emissions continue to grow, there is a threat of further rapid global warming. The result: melting polar ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity and shrinking habitats.
Scenarios for the reduction ofCO2 in the atmosphere
The most important step in slowing climate change is to reduceCO2 emissions from energy, industry, transportation, and all other sectors. This must be supplemented by a reduction in the stock of carbons in the atmosphere.
In addition to technical options for removingCO2 from the atmosphere and storing it underground, for example, carbon sinks – natural reservoirs that absorb and store carbon – play an important role. Specifically, we are talking about forests as one of the few natural carbon sinks.
Deforestation and forest degradation worsen thecarbon footprint, while healthy forests store carbon, helping to de-escalate the situation.
For forests to sustainably fulfill their function in carbon storage, it is imperative that they be stable and adaptable over the long term. In the “Nature Positive” approach, sustainable practices are intended to maintain the productivity, regenerative capacity, and vitality of forests and their ecosystem services.
