Natural forests are key to tackling climate change. But they mustn’t be relied on to offset emissions, says this ecologist

Natural forests are essential to tackling the climate and biodiversity crises but mass tree-planting must not be used as an excuse to avoid emissions cuts. This is according to a new study co-authored by Professor Tom Crowther, which updates a 2019 study that found restoring the world’s forests could store 200 gigatonnes of CO2.