The potential and limitations of forests as a climate solution

Forests play an important role in the carbon cycle, both absorbing carbon from the atmosphere (through photosynthesis) and releasing carbon into it (through burning and decay). Because of this, forests have the potential to both mitigate climate change and contribute to it, a lesser-known fact. Due to the complicated role that forests play in mitigating climate change— —and the potential for misconceptions about this role to leave people susceptible to climate misinformation—scientists in NRCan’s Canadian Forest Service approached Impact Canada about conducting a study to explore what Canadians know about forest carbon.

We surveyed 1,994 adults in Canada about their perceptions of forest carbon and climate change in January and February of 2024. Results showed that while Canadians generally understand that trees and forests absorb carbon and can help mitigate climate change, there is less awareness of the role of forests as a source of carbon emissions. While factors like wildfires and insect disturbances have turned Canada’s managed forests¹ into an overall carbon source in recent decades—meaning they consistently emit more carbon into the atmosphere than they absorb—most survey respondents believed the opposite, still viewing Canada’s forests as a carbon sink. The misconception that climate change can be limited by planting trees instead of reducing the use of coal, oil, and natural gas was also common.

These results informed the development of educational materials² to help people understand both the potential and limitations of forests as a climate solution.

¹ “Managed forest” refers to forested land where humans have a direct impact on how much carbon is absorbed, stored, and emitted. This includes forests managed for purposes like timber production and conservation and covers approximately two-thirds of all forest land in Canada. In line with commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Government of Canada reports annually on emissions and removals of greenhouse gases in managed forests.

For further information on our research contact iiu-uii@pco-bcp.gc.ca.