ECOSYSTEMS AS CO2 STORAGE
We humans have been changing Earth’s surface for 12 000 years – clearing forests, draining wetlands and converting natural landscapes into agricultural and settlement areas. These human activities release CO₂ that was previously stored in plants and soils. Since industrialisation began around 1850, we have also been emitting large amounts of CO₂ through the burning of fossil fuels.
In total, we have already released around 1 100 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO₂ into the atmosphere. About half of this is absorbed by ecosystems – the rest stays in the atmosphere and drives global warming. Intact ecosystems can therefore help to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and store it permanently. However, it is crucial that we rapidly and drastically reduce our CO₂ emissions. Otherwise, even natural storage in ecosystems will not be enough.
In this digital game, you face a challenge: Can you remove 1 100 gigatonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere by conserving and restoring ecosystems? Find out how much CO₂ forests, wetlands, deserts, grasslands and oceans can store – and why protecting them is important for the climate.