From Earth’s green lungs to grey smokestacks: how European forests became carbon emitters
Written by Erica Gentili
For decades, forests have been one of our strongest allies in the fight against climate change, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) while regulating global temperatures. However unsustainable logging and poor forest management are transforming these crucial ecosystems from carbon sinks to carbon sources. They release CO₂ instead of storing it.
This comes at a time when scientists warn that we are dangerously close to exceeding the 1.5°C global warming threshold, beyond which environmental damage could be irreversible. If we do not act quickly to protect and restore forests, we risk accelerating the climate crisis instead of mitigating it.
Forests are a key part of the land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector, which plays a crucial role in carbon accounting. This sector tracks whether land acts as a carbon sink, absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere, or as a carbon source, releasing it back. For instance, forests absorb carbon as trees grow, but when forests are cleared or poorly managed, the carbon stored in trees and soil is released, turning them into carbon emitters.
The European Union has committed to an EU-wide net removal target of 310 Mt CO2 in the land sector by 2030, with specific targets for each EU country. Despite this commitment, projections indicate that the EU is off track to meet this target.
Why are forests becoming carbon emitters?
Several factors have led to this alarming shift:
- Increased logging: About 90% of new forest growth is now lost to deforestation and natural factors, compared to just 70% in the early 2010s. Still, forestry operations are the biggest responsible for disturbances, accounting for 82% of canopy openings.
- Slower tree growth: Forests are producing less new growth (leaves, branches, trunks, and roots), reducing their ability to absorb carbon.
- Soil emissions are rising: Higher temperatures speed up the breakdown of organic material in the soil, releasing more CO₂. At the same time, declining tree cover means less organic matter is added to the soil, weakening its carbon storage capacity.
This worrying trend is unfolding across Europe, with Finland, Estonia, and Germany among the hardest-hit countries.
Finland
Finland, with 70% of its land area covered by forests, has long presented itself as a leader in environmental sustainability. However, Finland’s forests shifted from being carbon sinks to carbon sources in 2021. The decline in carbon storage capacity began gradually around 2010, but the process accelerated sharply from 2018. Since then, Finland’s land use sector has been a net emitter of carbon, making the country’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035 increasingly difficult to reach.
Estonia
In 2020, Estonian forests became net carbon emitters for the first time since records began. Earlier forecasts suggested this shift would not occur until 2023, but it happened sooner due to rising logging rates and weakened carbon storage in forest soils. Estonia is home to 2,21 million hectares of forest, covering 50.5% of the country’s total land area. These forests, along with wetlands, have historically played a crucial role in carbon sequestration. However, since 2017, Estonia’s LULUCF sector has been a net source since 2017.
The government had previously aimed for Estonia’s land sector to capture at least 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by 2030 under the EU’s Fit for 55 climate strategy, but current trends suggest that meeting this target will be increasingly difficult without significant policy changes and stronger protections against overlogging.
Germany
Germany’s forests are being severely impacted by climate change. Storms, droughts, and beetle infestations have caused significant tree loss, with the country’s forest carbon stock declining by 41.5 million tonnes since 2017. Under the German Climate Protection Act, forests are expected to absorb at least 25 million tons of CO₂ annually from 2027 to 2030 to offset emissions from sectors like agriculture and industry, with a target of 40 million tons by 2045. However, recent data suggests that to meet these targets, annual logging must be reduced by over 30%.
The future of our forests
Forests are nature’s powerhouse, absorbing carbon, regulating temperatures and water flow, providing food and medicines, and supporting biodiversity. Their decline threatens not just climate stability but also the health of our planet for future generations.
Riccardo Gambini, Policy Officer for Forests and Bioenergy, highlights the urgency of the situation: “Our forests should be our greatest defence against the climate crisis, but right now, we’re cutting them down faster than they can recover. The collapse of Europe’s carbon sinks is no accident. It’s the result of short-sighted policies and unsustainable management. We need to turn this around, and fast. That means restoring forests, stopping overlogging, and making sure policies prioritise nature and climate, not just profit. The upcoming forest monitoring law is a crucial step. Without it, we’re flying blind.”
Forests remain one of our most powerful tools in the fight against climate change. If we act now, we can restore their role as carbon sinks and ensure they continue to protect the planet for generations to come.
