Kōrero: Climate change

‘Forest sinks’

‘Forest sinks’

Growing forests are called sinks because they absorb carbon dioxide. Trees convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into carbon stored in wood and the surrounding soil. Deforestation alters the carbon cycle by releasing this carbon back into the air. Recognising this, the Paris Agreement allows some emissions (sometimes referred to as sink credits) to be generated when new forests are established. The New Zealand government estimates that our forests absorb around 24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Te tuhi tohutoro mō tēnei whārangi:

Brett Mullan, Petra Pearce, Stephen Stuart, Ben Liley and Stacy Mohan, 'Climate change - Global warming', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/photograph/7549/forest-sinks (accessed 3 May 2024)

He kōrero nā Brett Mullan, Petra Pearce, Stephen Stuart, Ben Liley and Stacy Mohan, i tāngia i te 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 20 Jul 2020