As we work to unite climate efforts on the heels of COP28, there are signs of hope. Most importantly, the agreement to transition away from fossil fuels signals that we are getting serious about our emissions problem — the ultimate driver of climate change. Yet emissions reductions are only part of the solution. We urgently need to draw down the carbon already in our atmosphere — and research continues to demonstrate the powerful potential of nature-based solutions. A fresh round of collaborative studies, including one authored by a team featuring noted skeptics, has once more confirmed the critical capacity of forests to slow climate change through carbon sequestration while providing essential protection for human communities and biodiversity. …we can build on forests’ carbon sequestration capacity by protecting existing forests and optimizing their health, climate resilience, and biodiversity through best management practices, while expanding forest cover in ecologically appropriate places.