O=C=O<p>Losing forest carbon stocks could put climate goals out of reach</p><p>“Delaying action leads to disproportionately higher costs,” explains Michael Windisch, the study’s lead author and PIK guest scientist. “Right now, our climate strategies bet on forests not only remaining intact, but even expanding,” Windisch says. “However, with escalating <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/wildfires" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>wildfires</span></a> like in <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/California" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>California</span></a>, and continued <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/deforestation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>deforestation</span></a> in the <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/Amazon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Amazon</span></a>, that’s a gamble. <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/ClimateChange" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateChange</span></a> itself puts forests’ immense carbon stores at risk.”</p><p>According to the study, postponing action to reduce <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/emissions" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>emissions</span></a> and to protect and monitor <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/forests" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>forests</span></a> could jeopardise <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/climate" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>climate</span></a> targets. “We must act immediately to safeguard the carbon stored in forests,” Windisch emphasises. “Otherwise, compensating for potential forest carbon losses through steeper emissions cuts in key emission sectors like <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/energy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>energy</span></a>, <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/industry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>industry</span></a> and <a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/transport" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>transport</span></a> will become increasingly expensive and possibly unattainable.”</p><p><a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/losing-forest-carbon-stocks-could-put-climate-goals-out-of-reach" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-</span><span class="invisible">news/losing-forest-carbon-stocks-could-put-climate-goals-out-of-reach</span></a></p><p><a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/ClimateCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateCrisis</span></a> <br><a href="https://climatejustice.social/tags/ClimateAction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateAction</span></a></p>