In order to stop global warming, we need to drastically reduce our emissions and the CO2 in the atmosphere. However, this is not enough if we really want to save the climate and preserve life on Earth as we know it. Even if we completely stopped burning fossil fuels, we could not halt climate change and stop the loss of biodiversity, if we continue to destroy high-carbon ecosystems and important habitats. If we want to maintain life on Earth at the quality that we love, we need to stabilize the climate, create resilience against the consequences of global warming and preserve biodiversity. To achieve this, we need a true rescuer. The good thing about this? We already have it: forests.
Forests store large amounts of CO2 in their biomass, soils and forest moors. When high-carbon ecosystems such as forests and moors are destroyed, they release more carbon dioxide than we could ever store again on a time scale relevant for humans. 1/8 to 1/6 of our yearly emissions result from the destruction of forests and the draining of moors, meaning that the loss of forests has a stronger effect on the climate than global transport. And what’s even worse about is: For every tree that we cut down, we do not only emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but most of all, we lose our most important ally in the fight against climate change.
Standing forests have many important functions for their environment and the climate. They store large amounts of water and prevent the erosion of fertile soil. Trees produce a majority of the oxygen that we need to survive, so they secure our very basis of life. Added to that, they filter out particulate matter from the air, such as nitrogen oxide, heavy metals and soot particles released by industrial activity and cars. They are home to a huge biodiversity. Thanks to the constant evaporation of their vegetation, they guarantee stable rainfalls and a humid, cool micro-climate.
That is why primary forests are our most important buffer against extreme weather events and climate change. That is why we have chosen the protection of primary forests as our compensation project.