Our planet is heating up faster than ever before, in what has been described as one of the biggest threats to humankind. Since the industrial revolution, global temperatures have been increasing at an alarming rate. This is mainly down to the mass burning of fossil fuels which, when burned, release carbon that was stored deep underground, into the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is a potent greenhouse gas - The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the stronger warming impact it has on our climate. These levels are rising fast and are currently 39% higher than they were 100 years ago. They haven't been this high for over four million years.
Soaring temperatures have devastating consequences on our planet, including sea levels rising, more natural disasters and ecosystems collapsing. These changes will be irreversible if we don’t act fast.
Planting trees is one of the best ways to fight climate change. Trees are amazing carbon-capturing machines, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
As well as absorbing the carbon itself, planting trees helps tackle the effects of climate change, preventing flooding, lowing air temperature and keeping our soils healthy and full of nutrients. Creating woodlands is a truly powerful weapon against the climate emergency.
Trees absorb carbon through the process of photosynthesis, and then store it for the rest of their lives. When they die, however, rotting or burning trees return this carbon back into the atmosphere. This is why The Tree Planters pledge to maintain and protect our woodlands to have long lives, and why we are dedicated to utilising carbon-capture methods wherever possible. When some of our trees die, they'll be recovered and turned into solid carbon form instead of being allowed to rot. This solid carbon won't return to the atmosphere and can be used as a long-life building material.
Carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels are rapidly warming the planet.