How does the rainforest offset my CO2 emissions?
Our calculator and compensation project focuses onCO2 becauseCO2 is currently the most tangible and accurately calculable part of our ecological footprint. However, we must not forget that this is only part of the equation and that our climate as a whole, and thus life on Earth, is in danger. Global warming is just one consequence of our interference with the ecological balance, but droughts, floods, storms, and other extreme weather events are also side effects of climate change.
So it is not enough to simply reduceCO2 in the atmosphere. Even if we stopped burning fossil fuels, we would not be able to stop climate change if we continued to destroy carbon-rich ecosystems and important habitats. We need a real savior for the climate and biodiversity. The best thing is, we already have one. And we cannot afford to lose it: the forest.
Currently, 30% of the Earth's surface is forested. Standing forests have many important functions for the climate and the environment. They prevent the erosion of nutrient-rich soils. Trees produce the majority of the oxygen essential for human life on a global scale, thus securing our foundation for life. Additionally, forests filter fine dust such as heavy metals, nitrogen oxides, and soot particles from industrial and vehicle emissions, cleaning the air. They also purify the water in streams and rivers.
Through the continuous evaporation of vegetation and the release of aerosols by trees, forests also generate the typical frequent rainfall. As a result, forests are responsible for a moist, cool microclimate, store vast amounts of water and act as our most important buffer against weather extremes and climate change. They are, in fact, the "Green Lung" of our planet. And last but not least, they are places of peace and relaxation.
Above all, however, these forests bind moreCO2 in their biomass, soils, and forest bogs than is present in the entire atmosphere. When the forest is cleared, the carbon stored in it is released through the use of the wood and the decay of branches, leaves, and roots, returning to the atmosphere asCO2. There,CO2 acts as a greenhouse gas and accelerates global warming. This has drastic consequences for biodiversity on our planet – both on land and in water. Biodiversity is being lost and the lack of tree vegetation is making it significantly drier and hotter. When carbon-rich ecosystems such as forests and moors are destroyed, they release moreCO2 than could ever be reabsorbed in a timeframe relevant to humans.
For this reason, forests, especially old-growth forests, are our most important buffer against human-induced climate change worldwide. However, deforestation continues to advance every year around the world. According to the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 , the annual rate of deforestation between 2015 and 2025 was 10.9 million hectares per year.
Without forests, our air would be too polluted to breathe, there would not be enough reliable rain, our soils would be washed out and nutrient-poor, our water sources would dry up, and drought and heat would take their toll on us. That is why we believe it is time to say thank you to nature for all the free services it provides us with every day and without which life would be impossible. It is not enough to sequesterCO2 in new plantings sometime in the future or to reduce it through innovative technologies. Instead, we must preserve all the remaining intact, high-carbon ecosystems that "give" us gifts every day.