World’s last forest defender falls: africa’s rainforests now fuel climate crisis instead of fighting it

In a devastating blow to global climate stability, Africa’s vast forests have crossed a critical tipping point, transforming from natural allies that absorbed carbon dioxide into sources that pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This fundamental shift, documented by recent research, marks the completion of a troubling global pattern—all three of the world’s major rainforest regions now contribute to climate change rather than combat it.

The transformation has unfolded rapidly since 2010, when Africa’s forests began releasing more carbon than they capture from the air. This places African forests alongside the Amazon rainforest in South America and Southeast Asian forests, both of which had already made this alarming transition in previous years. Together, these three forest systems once served as the planet’s primary “carbon sinks”—natural systems that pulled billions of tons of climate-warming CO2 from the atmosphere each year and stored it safely in trees, soil, and vegetation.

The reversal represents one of the most significant environmental shifts of our time. Forests have historically acted as Earth’s natural air purifiers and climate regulators, absorbing roughly one-third of human carbon emissions. Without this critical service, the pace of global warming is likely to accelerate more rapidly than previously projected.

Scientists emphasize that this development underscores the urgent need for comprehensive forest protection and restoration efforts. The loss of these natural climate stabilizers means humanity can no longer rely on forests to help offset carbon emissions, making dramatic reductions in fossil fuel use even more critical for preventing catastrophic climate change.