Ten Reasons to Reduce Tropical Deforestation

The Union of Concerned Scientists outlines ten reasons to reduce tropical deforestation, noting that it accounts for approximately 10 percent of global warming pollution. The document asserts that reducing these emissions is more cost-effective than reducing industrial fossil fuel emissions and can be achieved with a global investment of $20 billion per year to cut emissions in half by 2020. It highlights the role of tropical forests in carbon sequestration and biodiversity protection, while citing progress in Brazil and Indonesia as evidence that solutions are viable.

• Tropical deforestation is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for approximately 10 percent of global warming pollution, which is equivalent to the annual tailpipe emissions of 600 million average U.S. cars.
• Reducing emissions from tropical deforestation is more cost-effective than reducing emissions from industrial sources or fossil fuel combustion.
• A global investment of $20 billion per year could reduce deforestation-related emissions by half by 2020, with the United States potentially contributing $5 billion, representing 0.1 percent of its annual budget.
• Some tropical nations have already demonstrated success in reducing emissions; Brazil reduced its deforestation-related emissions by two-thirds over six years, and Indonesia pledged to cut overall emissions by over 25 percent by 2020.
• Preserving tropical forests provides critical ecosystem services, including the storage of more carbon than temperate forests, the protection of biodiversity essential for medicine, and the regulation of regional rainfall to prevent floods and droughts.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2009). Ten Reasons to Reduce Tropical Deforestation. https://www.ucs.org/resources/ten-reasons-reduce-tropical-deforestation

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Ten Reasons to Reduce Tropical Deforestation. 2009. https://www.ucs.org/resources/ten-reasons-reduce-tropical-deforestation.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Ten Reasons to Reduce Tropical Deforestation |date=6 August 2009 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/ten-reasons-reduce-tropical-deforestation |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2009ten, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Ten Reasons to Reduce Tropical Deforestation}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2009}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/ten-reasons-reduce-tropical-deforestation}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }