Extensive wildfires and droughts in 2023 greatly reduced global forests’ natural carbon absorption, increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
In 2023, environmental disasters severely impacted forests. Canada experienced unprecedented tree loss due to wildfires, smoke from which blanketed the US East Coast for months. In the Amazon, severe drought disrupted ecosystems accustomed to wetter conditions. This combination of events in Earth’s two largest forested areas led to an 86% increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels compared to 2022.
Plant life slows climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it underground. Before 2023, Earth’s forests absorbed about a third of annual carbon emissions. The rate at which carbon dioxide is absorbed directly impacts global climate. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels lead to more severe weather, which strains public infrastructure and public services.
Looking ahead, scientists expect the dramatic changes in 2023 were primarily due to the cyclical El Niño effect, which ended in 2024. However, the worst extremes were driven by larger climate change patterns expected to worsen. While scientists advise against drawing definitive conclusions from a single year, it will be very concerning if 2023 marks the beginning of a trend rather than an anomaly.