The nation’s first and most trusted forest organization, American Forests, has vaulted to a leadership position in the mission-critical race to identify and implement climate change solutions. Under the organization’s new CEO, Jad Daley, American Forests has assumed leadership of the Forest-Climate Working Group and is delivering new innovations through science, policy and on-the-ground forest restoration to capture and store more carbon in resilient forests that can withstand climate change.
The impact of our forests
America’s forests already capture and store nearly 15 percent of our annual carbon emissions, and analysis from American Forests suggests that our forests have the potential to capture as much as 30 percent of emissions if we follow through on planting millions of new trees.
However, our forests could just as easily become a source of carbon emissions if we can’t overcome the impacts of climate change. These two competing futures are why our forests hold the critical “swing vote” on climate change.
Looking ahead
American Forests has centered the future strategy on delivering forests as a solution to climate change, from city street trees to vast forest landscapes. We are sharing our breakthroughs and shaping powerful new forest-climate policies leading the 46-member Forest-Climate Working Group and working in partnership with the 17 states of the U.S. Climate Alliance. And we are leading the call to action through #Forests4Climate.
Working with on-the-ground partners from the U.S. Forest Service to local community tree-planting groups, and supported by diverse financial contributions from corporate sponsors to individuals and foundations, American Forests is putting forests to work for climate action.
Lea Sloan, Vice President of Communications, American Forests, [email protected]
