The Carbon Sink at the
Heart of Climate Stability
Forests are the planet’s most effective natural carbon management systems, absorbing about 2.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually, around a third of global fossil fuel emissions. Their ability to sequester and store carbon at scale makes them essential to any credible climate solution.
How Forests Capture
and Store Carbon
Through photosynthesis, trees draw CO₂ from the atmosphere and convert it into biomass, stored in roots, trunks, leaves, and soils. Diverse ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves, and peatlands store carbon over decades or centuries, including deep in soils and microbial layers. This is a critical but often under-recognized in climate modeling.
Forests at Risk: From Sinks to Sources
Deforestation and degradation are turning vital carbon sinks into emission sources. Forest loss contributes up to 15% of global greenhouse gas emission. This is more than all cars, planes, and ships combined. Protecting and restoring forests is no longer optional, it is a climate imperative.
Thriving Forest Cover/ Photo: Ihsan Adityarwarman
Thriving Forest Cover/ Photo: Masood Aslami
Forests and Climate
Justice
Forests support over 1.6 billion people, including 200+ million Indigenous Peoples. Forest action must advance equity, protect cultural rights, and share benefits fairly. Local communities are not just stakeholders, they are guardians of climate stability.
We believe that climate finance tools like carbon credits, REDD+, and biodiversity-linked investments must meet high standards of environmental integrity, transparency, and inclusion.
Thriving Forest Cover/ Photo: Ihsan Adityarwarman
Carbon Sinks
Forests absorb 30% of annual fossil fuel emissions making
them essential for climate stability.
Blue Carbon
Mangroves and other coastal forests capture carbon at up to
four times the rate of terrestrial forests.
Riverbank habitats/ Photo: George Ouma
Mombasa Mangroves Forest Cover/ Photo: Lisa Larsen
Mangroves Biodiversity/ Photo: Ronald Plett
Mombasa Mangroves Forest Cover/ Photo: Lisa Larsen
Our Role in Protecting the
World's Carbon Sinks
At 400Forests, we translate climate ambition into scalable, nature-based forest solutions across tropical, temperate, and dryland landscapes.
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Forest protection and reforestation initiatives. This includes agroforestry and regenerative land use
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Support national and local forest governance aligned with global climate goals.
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Channel finance to verified forest protection and restoration projects.
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Use cutting-edge science, remote sensing, AI, and community data to monitor impact.
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Empower Indigenous and local leadership as central to forest stewardship.
Stewardship-Indonesia/ Photo: Leaocardo Sebatian
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, we must both cut emissions and remove carbon fast. Forests offer the most scalable, cost-effective, and nature-aligned solution available.
Core Project Areas
Forest Carbon Co-Ops for Smallholders
Empowering smallholders and communities to generate verified carbon credits through sustainable forestry, ensuring equitable income and ecosystem protection
High-Integrity Carbon
Forest Labs
Pioneering cutting-edge methodologies, AI tools, and high-integrity carbon verification through living laboratories in biodiversity hotspots worldwide
Climate Resilient Carbon Corridors
Restoring and connecting degraded forest landscapes, creating biodiversity-rich corridors that enhance carbon storage and climate resilience
ACT TODAY!
The environment we have is not just the space we live in, it is the intricate system of air, water, soil, climate, plants, and animals that makes life possible. Healthy ecosystems regulate the planet’s temperature, purify water, store carbon, pollinate crops, and protect us from natural disasters. But this balance is rapidly being disrupted. Add your Voice! ACT NOW!
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