The world has lost one-third of its forests since the ice age, and today, approximately 15 billion trees are cut down annually.
Forests are wellsprings of biodiversity and an essential buffer against climate change, absorbing billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year. Yet, forest loss continues to grow. …‘Forest loss’ is a broad term that covers permanent deforestation and forest degradation. Permanent deforestation refers to the complete removal of trees, while forest degradation covers a reduction in the density of trees in the area without a change in land use. Commodity-driven deforestation – which includes the removal of forests for farming and mining – is the largest driver of forest loss. Urbanization – the conversion of forests into land for cities and infrastructure – is by far the smallest contributor.