Summary/Abstract
Forests are some of the most biodiverse habitats on Earth and play a crucial role in climate regulation by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Forests in UNESCO World Heritage sites cover 69 million hectares (roughly twice the size of Germany) and are collectively strong net carbon sinks responsible for absorbing approximately 190 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere each year, equivalent to roughly half the United Kingdom’s annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
However, despite their global recognition and protection status at the national level, 10 World Heritage forests were net carbon sources between 2001 and 2020 due to anthropogenic stressors, including land use and climate change. Resource use and more intense and increasingly frequent disturbances such as wildfires are likely to weaken World Heritage forest carbon sinks in the coming years.
Ensuring strong and sustained protection of World Heritage forests and surrounding landscapes is crucial for maximizing their value as solutions to climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.