Trees are crucial for binding carbon when carbon dioxide levels rise in the atmosphere. Planting trees as compensation for their emissions is a strategy used by many companies that account for large emissions. But it would require impractically large areas of land to compensate for all the fossil fuel used, according to new research.
In a study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, researchers have made calculations on carbon dioxide emissions generated by fuels sold by the 200 largest companies in fossil fuels.
According to their conclusions, it would be required that trees be planted on an area equivalent to 24.75 million square kilometers to compensate for all the carbon dioxide. This corresponds to more than all of North America.
The researchers have calculated the carbon dioxide emissions based on how much oil, gas, and coal the large companies themselves calculate to sell.
It is unreasonable to imagine planting such large areas of trees because it would happen at the expense of both agricultural land and housing. The study is a thought experiment and we want to show that carbon dioxide emissions cannot be fully compensated for with tree planting, says Nina Friggens, one of the researchers behind the study, during a press briefing.
