Scientists champion forests as 'unsung hero' of climate action

Barcelona: Scientists from around the world called for stepped-up efforts to use forests to keep global warming to the lowest limit agreed by governments in 2015, as a key report on how to meet that goal is finalised in South Korea this week.

"Our planet's future climate is inextricably tied to the
 future of its forests," the international panel said.  

"Forests really are the unsung hero of our struggle to address climate change," said Deborah Lawrence, a University of Virginia professor and one of 40 scientists who backed a statement emphasising how the Earth's climate depends on forests.

The natural processes by which forests suck in and store carbon help reduce levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - and forests also underpin key parts of the world's economy, the scientists said.

Read the story by Megan Rowling from The Age - “Scientists champion forests as 'unsung hero' of climate action.”