Why Europe cannot rely on forests to meet its climate targets

Carbon Market Watch argues against the use of 'net' targets in the EU Climate Law, asserting that carbon removals from forests cannot replace the need for gross emission reductions. The organization advocates for a 65% reduction in emissions by 2030 and the exclusion of carbon removals from the EU carbon market to prevent big emitters from using offsets to avoid cutting pollution.

• The author argues that a 'net' target is dangerous because carbon stored in trees is temporary and can be released by fires, pests, or logging, whereas pollution from human activities persists in the atmosphere for centuries.
• To align with the Paris climate goals, the document asserts that Europe requires at least a 65% reduction in emissions by 2030, which is higher than the 55% target agreed upon by EU leaders in December.
• The document opposes the European Commission's proposal to include forestry in the EU carbon market, stating that there is insufficient land globally to plant enough trees to offset emissions from fossil fuel corporations.
• The author recommends the adoption of two distinct targets: one for reducing gross greenhouse gas emissions and another for forest and land carbon absorption.

APA

Amaral, K. (2021). Why Europe cannot rely on forests to meet its climate targets. Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/04/19/why-europe-cannot-rely-on-forests-to-meet-its-climate-targets/

Chicago

Amaral, Kaisa. Why Europe cannot rely on forests to meet its climate targets. Carbon Market Watch, 2021. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/04/19/why-europe-cannot-rely-on-forests-to-meet-its-climate-targets/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Amaral |first1=Kaisa |title=Why Europe cannot rely on forests to meet its climate targets |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=19 April 2021 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/04/19/why-europe-cannot-rely-on-forests-to-meet-its-climate-targets/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{amaral2021why, author = {Amaral, Kaisa}, title = {{Why Europe cannot rely on forests to meet its climate targets}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/2021/04/19/why-europe-cannot-rely-on-forests-to-meet-its-climate-targets/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }