3 reasons why forests must play a leading role at COP26

The author advocates for COP26 to be the 'Forest COP', highlighting that forests are essential for carbon sequestration, protecting populations from extreme heat, and preserving biodiversity. The text emphasizes 'Tree Equity' in urban areas to address racial and income-based disparities in cooling and air purification. Furthermore, it asserts that investment in forest-climate solutions, such as those proposed in the US Build Back Better Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, can create significant employment opportunities in disadvantaged communities.

• Forests serve as a dual-purpose climate tool by slowing climate change through carbon capture and protecting communities from its impacts. In the US, forests capture 16% of CO2 emissions, while urban trees specifically sequester nearly one-fifth of that forest carbon annually and reduce energy requirements for heating and cooling by 7.2%.
• Urban tree distribution in the US often mirrors income and race, leaving at-risk neighborhoods without natural cooling. This contributes to a death toll from extreme heat in the US of 12,000 lives per year, which is projected to reach 100,000 per year this century.
• Forests are critical for biodiversity as they house 80% of terrestrial wildlife. The document argues that reforestation, when executed correctly, supports both carbon sequestration and species preservation, citing a project on Mauna Kea to create a forested migration corridor for birds like the ‘I‘iwi and ‘A¯ kepa.
• Investment in forests can drive job creation and economic opportunity. In the US, the private forest sector employs over 2.5 million people with a $109 billion payroll. The Build Back Better Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act together propose nearly $40 billion for forest-climate solutions.

APA

Daley, J. (2021). 3 reasons why forests must play a leading role at COP26. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/3-reasons-why-forests-must-play-a-leading-role-at-cop26/

Chicago

Daley, Jad. 3 reasons why forests must play a leading role at COP26. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/3-reasons-why-forests-must-play-a-leading-role-at-cop26/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Daley |first1=Jad |title=3 reasons why forests must play a leading role at COP26 |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=5 November 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/3-reasons-why-forests-must-play-a-leading-role-at-cop26/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{daley2021reasons, author = {Daley, Jad}, title = {{3 reasons why forests must play a leading role at COP26}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/nature-and-biodiversity/3-reasons-why-forests-must-play-a-leading-role-at-cop26/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }