Destruction of the world’s forests increased last year even as pandemic shutdowns curbed economic growth, adding more pressure on nations and businesses trying to cut carbon emissions. The 2020 numbers, the third worst for tree loss since 2002, seal off a year that once carried great hopes for efforts to stop the destruction. Several nations had an outsize influence on tree loss and resulting CO2 emissions, which are driven by clearing land for production of meat, crops and wood. Global Forest Watch tracks “tree loss” instead of “deforestation” because the data includes both natural and grown forests, and also counts losses from fires. Indonesia continued its now four-year run of decreasing its forest loss rate.

Source: The Irish Times March 31, 2021 06:11 UTC