Tropical forest destruction surged in 2024 due to record-breaking wildfires, just as the European Union moved to postpone a key anti-deforestation regulation.
Louise Guillot reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- Nearly seven million hectares of primary tropical forest were lost in 2024, with almost half due to wildfires, according to data from the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland.
- Fires also devastated boreal forests in Russia and Canada, contributing to 30 million hectares of tree cover loss worldwide and releasing 4.1 gigatons of greenhouse gases.
- The EU postponed the start of its anti-deforestation law to 2025, with conservative lawmakers pushing further delays and exemptions for European producers, citing red tape and economic impacts.
Key quote:
“This is a dangerous feedback loop we cannot afford to trigger further.”
— Peter Potapov, research professor at the University of Maryland
Why this matters:
Wildfires — worsened by climate change — are now turning forest carbon sinks into carbon bombs. When trees burn, they release stored carbon back into the atmosphere, amplifying global warming and increasing the chances of future fires. The loss of tropical forests in places like Brazil, Colombia, and the Congo Basin also threatens biodiversity, water cycles, and the livelihoods of Indigenous and local communities. Delaying regulations that hold companies accountable for deforestation-linked supply chains risks undermining global pledges to reverse forest loss by 2030. As political momentum stalls in Brussels, every scorched acre makes it harder to meet climate goals and protect critical ecosystems.
Related: A near-death experience during a wildfire transformed a rancher into a rainforest guardian
