Canada is home to some of the world's largest and most diverse forests, covering over 361 million hectares of land or about 9% of the world's total forested area.^[30] These forests can serve as a critical carbon sinking our collective fight against climate change. But how we manage them matters.

As trees age they become susceptible to natural disturbances such as fire, pest outbreaks and disease that can release CO₂ and other GHGs back into the atmosphere. Though these disturbances are normal in the forest, they are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change, turning our forests from climate change assets into liabilities.^[10][11] 

When we manage our forests through carefully planned harvesting and replanting, we remove the decay and debris that accelerates these natural disturbances and strengthen our forests capacity to store carbon for another generation.^[11]

Learn more about the sustainable practices that help our forests adapt to a changing climate and how we’re working with nature to maximize their potential.