Reforestation to Stop Climate Change –
And Planting Trees to Compensate CO2 Emissions
Planting Trees for the Climate – Is it Really That Easy?
Well, it’s not that simple. But it’s more urgent than it ever was: Despite all efforts to slow down climate change, global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels continued to rise in 2023. The total output is expected to amount to 36.8 billion metric tons – that’s 1.1% more than in 2022.
Scientists of the “Global Carbon Project” presented these results in a recent study. Another 4.1 billion metric tons in land use emissions, which result from clearing and burning of woodland, add to the emissions through fossil fuels.
Living Net Zero – And Compensating CO2 Emissions
It is more important than ever to take action against these developments. After all, forests are the green lungs of our planet. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, release oxygen and thus counteract climate change for as long as they grow. This makes forests into gigantic storage spaces for carbon dioxide: Each tree that is planted or protected plays its part in saving the environment.
Planting Trees to Compensate CO2 Emissions
It’s easy to do the maths: Every tree absorbs about three metric tons of CO2 over the course of 100 years. This is roughly equivalent to the amount that each of us produces in three months. So four trees planted each year will offset our average CO2 footprint. This makes trees one of the simplest and most effective means of addressing climate change. Provided that these trees are allowed to grow to reach their natural age. But how exactly does it work?
Trees Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere and Store It
All species of trees remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it. How much exactly depends on the kind of tree, on its location conditions and its lifespan. Trees take in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere for photosynthesis. In this process, the carbon (C) is split from the CO2 and used to develop roots, trunks and leaves. A lot of the carbon is thus stored within the tree itself. The remaining oxygen (O2) from the CO2 is returned into the air.
Reducing the Carbon Footprint – In Private or in Business
The exact storage capacity depends on the species of tree and the conditions on site: The heavier and denser the timber, the more carbon can be stored.
- A 100-year-old spruce removes roughly 2.6 metric tons of CO2 throughout its life
- A 120-year-old beech removes roughly 3.6 metric tons of CO2 throughout its life
- A 100-year-old oak removes roughly 5 metric tons of CO2 throughout its life
This is exactly why we at the Green Forest Fund guarantee the lifelong, undisturbed growth and protection of our trees – on our own land and in natural habitats for unspoilt nature and without any commercial forestry. In this, we are free to choose from many different species of trees for planting: We don’t pick our trees for their economic profitability, but for their positive properties for climate change and as a habitat for animals.
Moreover, we are proud to offer our Forest Donation. After all, pristine forests remove 2.7 times the amount of CO2! The German Federal Ministry of the Environment came to this result on the basis of studies carried out in Europe’s last remaining pristine forests in Romania and Bulgaria.
CO2 Compensation – Now More Important Than Ever
Reducing our carbon footprint is now more important then ever. After all, On the basis of current greenhouse gas emissions, the remaining CO2 budget to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees will be used up within the next seven years. “We’re running out of time very quickly,” says Corinne Le Quéré, climate researcher at the University of East Anglia, UK.
Stopping the loss of forests would help a lot here – along with reforesting and permanently protecting the trees. It is estimated that trees remove two billion metric tonnes of CO₂ from the global atmosphere every year! Still, this contribution to climate protection could be significantly higher…
That’s why we are deeply grateful for your support in our fight against climate change – to which we dedicate all our work:
We are happy about each and every tree we can plant and protect from your donations!
FAQ
Whether energy consumption, plane flights or car travels: We all release CO2 into the atmosphere on a daily basis – and thus damage the climate. CO2 compensation makes it possible to offset the emissions that are caused by, for example, a plane flight. In reality this means that the same amount of CO2 is saved by projects protecting the climate.
It depends on your individual carbon footprint. We had originally planned to use a CO2-calculation tool for these operations. But then we realized that those tools were not precise enough – in some cases with deviations of more than 30%. We think that it’s much more important that each and every one of us can do something to combat climate change! We therefore assume an average value: Every tree absorbs about three metric tons of CO2 over the course of 100 years. This is roughly equivalent to the amount that each of us produces in three months. With four trees that we plant on your behalf, you can offset your own average carbon footprint for one year.
The consequences of the climate crisis are already evident in the form of extreme weather events – both on a global scale and here in Germany. For now, we can still avert the worst effects. But we must take action and finally reforest and protect our forests effectively. This is what we, the Green Forest Fund, are fighting for. Through this, we hope that we can at least compensate our CO2 emissions for a transitional phase – until we are finally able to reach net zero emissions.
Yes, you can claim your donation to the Green Forest Fund e.V. in your tax return, since we are a registered non-profit organization. You can find out more about tax deductibility by clicking here.
