Offsetting Fossil Fuel Emissions with Trees Would Require $11 Trillion and a Forest Larger Than North and Central America combined

Offsetting Fossil Fuel Emissions with Trees Would Require $11 Trillion and a Forest Larger Than North and Central America combined

Fuel companies often plant trees in order to cancel out their fossil fuel emissions. However, a new study by ESSEC Business School has disproved this as a good idea as it is unsustainable and physically impossible.

Dr Alain Naef, Assistant Professor at ESSEC, Dr Nina Friggens and Patrick Njeukam found that in order to successfully offset carbon emissions from the 200 largest fossil fuel companies, it would require a forest larger than all of North and Central America combined – which would cost at the cheapest price of $11 trillion.

The research highlights that fossil fuel companies would have a negative market value should they pay to offset their emissions. At a carbon price of $150 per ton, none of the 200 companies in the study would remain economically viable.

“Our findings are clear, it is cheaper to leave fossil fuels in the ground than to burn them and try to offset the damage later.” Dr Alain Naef says.

The researchers also found that using direct air capture to offset emissions would cost more than seven times global annual GPD, and it would take as much lands as farms on Earth to plant enough trees to absorb all past emissions. They also warned that planting trees on such a large scale could harm water sources, wildlife, and food production.

The authors concluded that “Many un-forested areas simply aren’t suitable for tree planting because trees need specific conditions - the right soil, nutrients, and water - and not all land can support that. Ignoring these ecological limits risks making things worse, not better”. Instead, they call for urgent reductions in fossil fuel extraction.

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For more information, a copy of the paper, or to speak to the researchers, contact Lucy Whytock at BlueSky Education on lucy@bluesky-pr.com.