The natural ability of plants to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) is weakening, posing a significant threat to climate stability, according to new research from the University of Strathclyde.
The study reveals that carbon sequestration rates, which were increasing at 0.8% per year in the 1960s, peaked in 2008 and are now falling at 0.25% annually.
If this trend continues, the planet’s natural carbon storage capacity could halve in the next 250 years.
“Most of the Earth’s land mass is in the Northern Hemisphere and during the northern summer, the abundant vegetation of the north absorbs a huge amount of CO2 from the atmosphere,” said Professor James Curran, co-author of the study.
He stressed the urgent need for action: “Deforestation must stop; rewilding must be encouraged; forest fires must be prevented… Fossil fuels must be phased out; timber and fibre products must be reused for as long as possible, as part of a wider circular economy.”
To compensate for the decline in sequestration, global CO2 emissions would need to fall by 0.3% per year — roughly 100 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
Professor Curran highlighted that while satellite data shows a ‘greener’ Earth, this apparent growth is countered by climate impacts like heat damage, drought, floods and wildfires, which are limiting plant growth.
The study emphasises that urgent efforts to restore ecosystems and cut emissions are essential to curb climate change.
