Canada’s 2023 wildfires have emitted around 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2, triple the annual emissions from burning fossil fuels in the country and surpassing the emissions of 100 nations combined. This year’s wildfires contribute to a multi-decade surge of CO2 emissions from Canada’s “managed” forests. After 2001, Canada’s forests emitted more CO2 than they absorbed, due to logging, wildfires, insects, and decay.
The country’s managed forest emitted approximately 3,700 million tonnes of CO2 since 2001. This ongoing crisis escalates, as Canada’s managed forest continues to lose carbon to the atmosphere annually. The crisis is exacerbated by rising temperatures in Canada, which lead to rapid changes in wildfires, droughts, insect outbreaks, and more.
The logging industry extracts more carbon than the forest regenerates, contributing to emissions. However, Canada does not transparently report logging emissions. Environmental groups estimate the logging industry’s emissions to be around 86 million tonnes of CO2 per year over the last decade, equivalent to emissions from heavy industry and buildings. Canada’s managed forest emits around 175 million tonnes of CO2 annually, rivaling the transportation and oil and gas sectors.
The urgency to address this carbon crisis is apparent as Canada is the only G7 country still increasing emissions. The forest, once a carbon sink, is now a “carbon bomb.” The combination of logging and fossil fuel burning has destabilized Canada’s forests and led to a significant rise in CO2 emissions. To defuse this carbon bomb, Canada must tackle industrial logging and fossil fuel burning. However, the country’s emissions trajectory, as well as a lack of transparent reporting and action, indicate a severe challenge in addressing this escalating crisis.
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/08/21/analysis/our-forests-have-reached-tipping-point