Article

Germany's forests, which absorbed 52-53 million tons of CO2 in 2021, are increasingly unable to serve as effective carbon sinks due to drought, heat, and bark beetle infestations. A recent report highlights that only 20% of common tree species are healthy, leading to concerns that carbon storage may be overestimated by 55-60 million tons annually, jeopardizing the country's climate goals of net-negative emissions by 2045. In response, forest managers are transitioning to mixed-species planting to enhance resilience and carbon storage.