Latest news with #afforestation
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A forest the size of North America would be needed to offset Big Oil's reserves, study finds
The world would need to plant a forest the size of North America in order to offset planet-warming emissions from the 200 largest oil and gas companies, new research has found. A study published Thursday in the journal Communications Earth & Environment analyzed the economic and ecological benefits of planting trees as a means of balancing potential carbon dioxide emissions from the projected burning of oil reserves held by the fossil fuel industry. Many experts consider planting trees to be one of the best means of balancing CO2 because the plants absorb and store carbon that otherwise would enter the atmosphere and heat the planet. But researchers in England and France found that the tree-planting process, known as afforestation, faces insurmountable land use and financial challenges. "We have to be careful as a society to think that we can continue to burn fossil fuels and emit CO2 in a sort of business-as-usual scenario and just offset it later," said Nina Friggens, a research fellow in plant soil ecology at the University of Exeter and one of the study's authors. "The picture on that is increasingly looking very unviable." Read more: The planet is dangerously close to this climate threshold. Here's what 1.5°C really means The world's 200 largest fossil-fuel companies hold about 200 billion tons of carbon in their reserves, which would generate as much as 742 billion tons of CO2 if burned, according to the study. That's far more than the budget required to limit global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.5 degrees Celsius — an internationally agreed-upon target intended to prevent the worst effects of climate change. The burning of fossil fuels represents about 90% of planet-warming emissions. Most experts and governments agree that rapid action is needed, including a combination of offsetting emissions and reducing them altogether. But, as the paper notes, "fossil-fuel companies currently face little incentive to reduce the extraction and use of fossil fuels, and regulatory measures to limit these activities have been slow to materialise." The researchers set out to calculate how much land area of afforestation would be needed to compensate for these emissions by 2050. The number they came up with was 9.5 million square miles of new trees — more land area than North America and part of South America. "That would displace all infrastructure, agriculture and preexisting habitats," Friggens said. "It's not something that we are at all suggesting that we do — it's just to illustrate the size of the problem." Read more: 2024 was the hottest year on record, NASA and NOAA confirm The economic viability of such a project for oil and gas companies is even less realistic. Most estimates suggest that afforestation is the "cheapest" means of offsetting carbon emissions — the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates it will cost more than $14.5 per ton of carbon offset. At that rate, afforestation offsets would cost the 200 largest fossil fuel companies around $10.8 trillion — or roughly 11% of global GDP, according to the study. By comparison, the price of direct air capture — a newer field of technology that draws CO2 from the air and stores it underground or in industrial products — would be about $908 per ton, costing the companies $673.7 trillion, or about 700% of global GDP, according to the study. That said, even the more affordable afforestation approach would cause nearly all fossil fuel companies to lose value, according to the researchers — they referred to this as "negative net environmental valuation." The companies "would be worth less than what they would have to pay for their offsetting," said Alain Naef, an assistant professor of environmental economics at the ESSEC Business School in Paris and another of the study's authors. Lucy Hutyra, a distinguished professor of earth and environment at Boston University who was not involved in the study, said the paper is an "interesting thought experiment, underscoring the immense social and economic costs associated with burning fossil fuels." She said the economic findings are noteworthy, although nuanced, as monetary estimates of the economic damages that result from emitting CO2 into the atmosphere — sometimes referred to as "the social cost of carbon" — can fluctuate widely. She noted that the Trump administration recently ordered federal agencies to stop considering such damages when writing regulations, "effectively making it $0." "[The study] clearly supports the argument that these reserves are best left unexploited," Hutyra said. "However, the authors adopt a maximalist approach, assuming that all emissions must be offset solely through afforestation, which unsurprisingly leads to extreme land requirements. Afforestation alone is clearly insufficient to address this scale of the problem." Indeed, the researchers acknowledged that the study has limitations as it relies on broad assumptions, including that all existing fossil fuel reserves will be sold and burned. In addition, by focusing on afforestation, it does not account for other approaches that are central to tackling climate change, such as preventing deforestation and restoring existing forests. Read more: California decarbonization projects are among two dozen eliminated by Trump's Department of Energy Still, the findings come as the world moves further from its climate goals. Last year was Earth's hottest on record with a global average surface temperature about 1.46 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline — closer than ever to the 1.5 degree threshold. What's more, the Trump administration has shifted the United States away from decarbonization efforts, including canceling funding for dozens of decarbonization projects in recent weeks and ramping up efforts to increase oil and gas production. President Trump in January also withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, the treaty signed by about 200 nations from which the 1.5 degree Celsius goal stems. The researchers said their findings should not suggest afforestation and carbon offsetting are futile. "It can work — it can have valuable climate benefits, cultural benefits, social benefits, biodiversity benefits," Friggens said. Naef said carbon offsetting remains an important tool but cannot be used to compensate for all emissions. "While offsetting can be useful at the margin, the key change will not be offsetting — it will be a reduction of carbon emissions," he said. The main message from the paper, he added, is that "oil and gas should remain in the ground." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Arab News
4 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Greening initiative sees 31m trees planted in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province
RIYADH: More than 31 million trees have been planted in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province as part of a nationwide afforestation project, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. The trees were planted by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, working with 51 other entities, under a program launched in November. The authorities aim to plant 1.5 billion trees in the province by 2100, rehabilitating more than 7.9 million hectares of land. The scheme is part of the nationwide Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to plant 10 billion trees — 600 million by 2030 — and rehabilitate more than 40 million hectares of land. As well as planting trees, the center has been engaged in a program of environmental monitoring, combating illegal logging and raising public awareness across the Eastern Province. It also works to prevent sand encroachment in farming areas that are at risk of soil degradation and uses native plant species to populate its afforestation areas in order to maintain the ecological balance of local habitats. The center also organizes the National Afforestation Season in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
Irish Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Commitment to climate action hard to find in Government
The programme for government by this Fianna Fáil - Fine Gael Coalition may have been written this year but, from a climate perspective, it could be a document from a decade ago. A simple comparison with the 2020 document gives a striking contrast. Cycling and bikes were mentioned in that document almost 50 times; this time it's down to 11 and most of them relate to tourist greenways or the bike-to-work scheme, both long-established policies. The references to forestry , woodlands and afforestation have fallen from 50 to 11; there are absolutely no mentions of peatlands, bogs and rewetting, compared to 10 in 2020. The word 'sustainable' is used 46 times in the document, compared to 75 five years ago. READ MORE Professor Diarmuid Torney: 'It is hard to see how these targets are going to be met' 'There is a lot of aspiration but little by way of concrete details of how we are going to meet our targets,' said Professor Diarmuid Torney, director of the DCU Centre for Climate and Society. 'The programme recommits to the big-picture targets, but if you start to drill into the detail of the different areas, it is hard to see how those targets are going to be met. 'And that's against the backdrop of EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] projections that the State is on track to get a little over halfway to the 2030 target,' he said. The EPA report, published last week, made for stark reading. The main conclusion of the report was that, with all existing measures, Ireland is projected to achieve a reduction of up to 23 per cent in total greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to a national target of 51 per cent. [ Ireland has a dismal amount of tree cover but 'wild' is partly between our ears Opens in new window ] Most sectors are on track to reduce emissions, including agriculture, which has reversed years of growing emissions. A reduction in nitrogen fertiliser use, better spreading technologies and liming programmes – to improve the overall health of soil – have contributed. There are some worrying outliers. Total emissions from the land sector are projected to increase by up to 95 per cent, the report found. Ireland's forestry is reaching harvesting age and will move from being a carbon sink to being a carbon source. To counter that there will be a need for increased afforestation, water table management on agricultural organic soils and peatland rehabilitation. But when the programme for government is scanned it is hard to see a tangible commitment to achieve that. To the dismay of environmentalists, Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, who wants to allow forestry on peatlands, was appointed Minister of State for Forestry. However, it's too early in his tenure to make any conclusions on what he will, or won't, do. The focus has pivoted to policies that will increase emissions, such as increasing the number of data centres, investing in roads, lifting the passenger cap The programme commits to the overall target of reducing emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 compared to 2018 levels and all the other high-level targets. They include 22 gigawatts (GW) from wind and solar energy: that's enough to power the entire State, accommodate new data centres and generate a surplus. But many of the targets of the 2020 document have disappeared. Unlike the last government, there is no commitment to a two to one ratio for public transport over roads, or a 20 per cent ring-fencing of the total transport capital budget to cycling and walking – some €360 million a year. Rewetting peatlands is gone from the programme for government. Photograph: Getty Images Rewetting peatlands, which stops the decomposition of peat and prevents harmful carbon emissions, is gone. Two pages on forestry in 2020 have been reduced to two paragraphs. However, it's not a total abandonment. The focus has pivoted to policies that will increase emissions, such as increasing the number of data centres, investing in roads, lifting the passenger cap in Dublin Airport, retaining the nitrates directive derogation, and a campaign to remove biogenic methane (emitted from ruminant livestock) from emissions calculations. 'If we were to take our commitments seriously, that would mean a significant ramping up of implementation, but also new policies and measures, and it's hard to find those in the programme for government,' said Torney. 'Reducing transport emissions is probably the most difficult because we have such an ingrained car dominance in our system' Last week, the secretary general of the Department of Environment, Climate and Energy Oonagh Buckley said that given the capacity of the grid, policymakers faced a stark choice between housing and artificial intelligence/data centres. Taoiseach Micheál Martin later took issue with the comments. 'I was at the event where she said that,' said Prof Torney. 'Statistics were shared [at that event] that 50 per cent of electricity generated in the Dublin region is now being consumed by data centres. I'm not sure that the average member of the public knows that.' The base point for the EPA projections is the performance of the last government rather than this one. That government did manage to achieve a 7 per cent reduction in overall emissions in 2023 but it was always known the hard slog would be in the last five years. Former leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times For former Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, some of the first gestures of the new Government did not bode well for climate action, such as its decision on a LNG [liquefied natural gas] storage facility, an emphasis on data centres and what he says is the lure of the 'smell of tar'. 'Reducing transport emissions is probably the most difficult because we have such an ingrained car dominance in our system,' said Ryan. 'The Bus Connects project is starting in Dublin but it really needs to accelerate. There's starting with two but we need them to start in groups of four. 'The same in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick. We need them at speed and at scale. I don't see that happening.' Ryan claims the figures show the last government in which he was minister for the environment and climate 'delivered in the last five years'. 'Part of the reason is because the Greens were in government. The difficulty is that political science trumps climate science. 'What we did wasn't [electorally] successful for us ... political science is maybe telling this Government it shouldn't push so hard because of the [electoral] consequences.' Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O'Brien. Photograph: Conor Ó Mearáin/Collins Photo Agency Minister for Environment, Climate and Energy Darragh O'Brien has acknowledged that delivery must be accelerated to meet the 2030 targets. He points to 'significant investment' such as a €2.5 billion grid-upgrade programme, new interconnectors to the UK and France and the expansion of renewables through further support schemes for offshore wind and other renewable energy sources. The 2030 target for electric vehicles (EVs) is 945,000. At present the number is 125,000. O'Brien says after a dip the numbers are back on track with a 23 per cent leap in sales in April. Figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) on Tuesday showed this increase was sustained in May with 12,392 new EVs being registered in the first five months of the year. [ EV Q&A: Why doesn't Ireland use roadside furniture for charging electric vehicles? Opens in new window ] 'The first meeting of the new Climate Action Programme Board was held last week, involving senior officials from all the main sectors. Its remit is clear: to focus on accelerated delivery of the actions needed to close the emissions gap,' he said. But objectively, the task facing O'Brien and the Government is daunting and will need radical policy changes if Ireland has any hope of coming close to reaching the targets. Professor Hannah Daly: 'You're talking about an increase in emissions in agriculture and almost a doubling of emissions from land use change by 2030' Hannah Daly, professor in sustainable energy and energy systems modelling at University College Cork, has said that even if all the current measures were implemented the gap could still be much bigger than is commonly spoken about. 'It's really alarming. You're talking about an increase in emissions in agriculture and almost a doubling of emissions from land use change by 2030 with existing, actual implemented policies, rather than the ones that are just spoken about,' she said. The programme for government contains strong language on commitments to phase out fossil fuel use, carbon budgets and the 2030 target, she said. 'But while you have this high-level commitment on paper it does not actually commit to the hard choices that are necessary,' she said. 'There's very little on agriculture as well. What's needed to fill that gap is just far more investment in clean energy transition and a halt in the support for the growth of carbon intensive industries.' This means a focus on dairy farming, flights at Dublin Airport and data centres, she said.
Arab News
30-05-2025
- Science
- Arab News
Climate innovation can enhance nature-based solutions
Success will depend not only on the number of trees but on how effectively they are planted, maintained, and measured. (SGI photo) As Saudi Arabia commits to planting 10 billion trees and rehabilitating 40 million hectares in the coming decades under the Saudi Green Initiative, success will depend not only on the number of trees but on how effectively they are planted, maintained, and measured. Precision, ecosystem sustainability, and transparent monitoring are essential. Emerging climate technologies using artificial intelligence —such as satellite-based remote sensing and advanced carbon quantification platforms — offer transformative tools to enhance the effectiveness of nature-based solutions. This will enable the Kingdom to deliver measurable results while advancing global climate adaptation aspirations. Nature-based solutions, including afforestation, mangrove rehabilitation, and wetland restoration, can provide up to 37 percent of the cost-effective carbon mitigation required by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement goals. However, implementing nature-based solutions in Saudi Arabia's hyper-arid environment presents unique challenges. Climate stressors such as extreme heat, saline soils, and water scarcity require data-driven approaches to ensure ecological suitability, long-term survival, and resilience. Technologies such as light detection and ranging, or LIDAR, which use laser pulses to map terrain and vegetation in three dimensions, allow detailed analysis of canopy structure, soil degradation, and vegetation health. When integrated with AI and hyperspectral imaging, these tools can identify optimal restoration sites, track survival rates, and verify carbon uptake in near real time. Institutions such as the National Center for Vegetation Cover could use this technology to improve resource targeting and support digital monitoring, reporting, and verification systems for national and international carbon markets. Globally, countries are successfully leveraging such technologies. Kenya's Regreening Africa initiative employs drone imagery and AI to evaluate large-scale restoration efforts, using geospatial tools to monitor tens of thousands of hectares and significantly improve outcomes. In Peru, satellite-based forest monitoring platforms enhance transparency and help prevent illegal deforestation in Amazonian restoration zones. These examples offer replicable models that Saudi Arabia can adapt and scale. The economic rationale is equally compelling. The social cost of carbon, reflecting the economic damage from each additional tonne of CO2 emitted, can reach as high as $185 per tonne depending on the applied discount rate and modeling assumptions, according to estimates reported in 2022 by Kevin Rennert and fellow researchers in the journal Nature. In contrast, the cost of restoring mangroves to sequester carbon has been estimated to range from $4.50 to $18 per tonne of CO2, depending on site-specific factors and carbon recovery assumptions, while delivering additional benefits such as coastal protection, biodiversity enhancement, and improved fisheries. In a country where approximately one third of the population resides along the coast, restoring mangroves and wetlands becomes a dual-purpose strategy that combines mitigation with adaptation. Technology also reduces the risk of maladaptation, where restoration efforts fail due to poor species selection or lack of climate-fit design. Applying frameworks like dynamic adaptive policy pathways can help Saudi policymakers sequence restoration phases under uncertainty and adjust plans based on feedback and risk thresholds. Even the most advanced tools will fall short without the trust, knowledge, and participation of those most affected by environmental change. Adnan Masoudy & Hassan Alzain Co-developing projects with local communities and scientists ensures financial stability and long-term social resilience. Adaptation finance remains critically underfunded. The Adaptation Gap Report 2024 estimates that the financing needed is between $231 and $416 billion per year, up from previous estimates of $194 to $366 billion, reflecting rising global costs and urgent adaptation needs. To fully realize this potential, Saudi Arabia should prioritize advancing three strategic steps. First, launch a national open-access geospatial dashboard that integrates LIDAR, AI, and remote sensing data to track nature-based solutions progress nationwide. Second, engage more deeply with global platforms such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Global Mangrove Alliance, and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility to exchange technical knowledge and obtain access to climate finance. Third, establish a climate and nature tech innovation hub in collaboration with local universities to pilot and localize nature-based solutions, monitoring solutions tailored for drylands, while accelerating the development and deployment of new climate and nature-based startups in the region. As Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, the Kingdom's ambassador to the US, eloquently stated on SGI Day 2025: 'The future is not something that comes at us; it's something we create ... Climate action is not a dream — it is a reality we are building together.' Her words capture the spirit of SGI as not just a national strategy, but a movement defined by momentum, measurable action, and collective resolve. That momentum is already visible. As of 2024, Saudi Arabia has planted over 115 million trees and restored 118,000 hectares of degraded land — a significant leap from where the journey began just a few years ago. These achievements demonstrate that bold climate pledges are being converted into tangible, large-scale outcomes on the ground. But technology and investment alone are not enough. As explained by Robert Klee, senior lecturer and managing director of clean energy programs at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment: 'Nature-based solutions can be empowered by technology, but must be governed by people — especially those most vulnerable to climate risks. 'It is in aligning science, justice, and local knowledge that real climate progress takes root.' This insight points to a deeper truth: meaningful climate progress depends as much on governance and inclusion as it does on innovation. Even the most advanced tools will fall short without the trust, knowledge, and participation of those most affected by environmental change. Within the SGI framework, embedding local leadership and equity into restoration design can elevate both the impact and legitimacy of nature-based solutions across Saudi Arabia's diverse landscapes. By fusing nature and innovation, and engaging local communities in the development and deployment of nature-based solutions, Saudi Arabia can transform its drylands into living laboratories of climate resilience. The SGI offers more than a greening strategy. With smart climate technologies, it can become a global model for how climate ambition, ecological science, cutting-edge tools, and social support converge to drive meaningful environmental transformation in the decades to come. • Adnan Masoudy is manager of corporate sustainability, environment, and biodiversity at Ma'aden and Hassan Alzain is author of the award-winning book 'Green Gambit.'
Irish Times
13-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
I'm worried about our home being devalued because our neighbour's trees block light. What can we do?
My husband and I built our home on a site we bought in the mid-1980s. All the land adjoining our site was sterilised by the county council so that no further building could take place. We had lovely views of the mountains and plenty of sunshine giving light to our garden and house. New neighbours moved into the house next door soon afterwards. They planted all of the 23 acres in hardwood forest on two sides of our property, east to south sides, which cuts out our sunshine for a major part of the day, especially in winter. The forest is planted right up to our fence. It is now about 2½ metres high and will grow to nearly 61 metres. I checked if they had planning permission for it, but was told by the council that they didn't need it as it was under 25 acres. We asked them to reduce the height of the trees on our south side and they agreed they would, but they never did it. I'm worried that it will seriously reduce the value of our beautiful architect-designed home, which will probably be sold in the next decade or so. At present, our solar panels make no electricity early in the day because the sun is low in the sky and the light is blocked out until later in the afternoon. What are our rights, if any? READ MORE Let's look first at afforestation and the relevant licensing requirements. It is worth checking if the planting of trees on your neighbour's property qualifies as afforestation. In Ireland, an afforestation licence is required if the area planted exceeds 0.10 hectares (approximately 0.25 acres). Planning permission, however, is only necessary if the area exceeds 25 acres or involves specific environmental concerns. If the trees were planted for other purposes, such as landscaping or private gardening, licensing rules may not apply. Verifying the purpose of the planting can help clarify whether any rules have been breached. The right to light is a well-established legal concept that protects access to natural light for specific windows of a property. If you have enjoyed uninterrupted access to light through a window for more than 20 years, you may have acquired an 'ancient lights' easement under the Prescription Act 1832. However, this right applies only to specific windows and not to gardens or open spaces. It is also worth noting that there is limited case law addressing tree-related obstructions, making this a legally uncertain area. Property Clinic's Patrick O'Connor is a senior partner at P O'Connor & Son solicitors in Swinford, Co Mayo The distinction between interference by buildings and trees is important. While legal precedents address artificial structures obstructing 'ancient lights,' there is little authority on natural growth such as trees. Planning laws regulate building heights to protect views but leave tree heights unrestricted, offering homeowners minimal options for such obstructions. [ My son lives abroad and wants to sell his house here but the tenant won't move out. What can he do? Opens in new window ] [ Which windows are best to block out noise and retain heat? Opens in new window ] Legal protection for solar panels is even more limited, as Ireland does not have specific 'solar rights' laws guaranteeing access to sunlight for renewable energy systems. Homeowners may be able to pursue a nuisance claim if the shading caused by neighbouring trees severely impacts the panels' functionality, resulting in financial loss or operational issues. Strong evidence, such as reduced energy output or higher electricity bills, would be crucial to supporting such a claim. The right to a view In Ireland, there is no legal right to preserve a scenic view, even if the loss significantly reduces your property's value. Obstructions caused by natural growth, such as trees or woods, do not constitute grounds for complaint unless they breach local building regulations or overhang your property. Precedents such as Potts v Smith (1868) and Webb v Bird (1862) have upheld that there is no entitlement to maintain uninterrupted access to views, wind or air. Your best course of action may be to engage with your neighbour directly. Discussing the issue and negotiating a compromise, such as trimming or reducing the height of the trees, could provide a practical solution. If that fails, consulting a solicitor with expertise in property law can help you explore whether nuisance claims or other legal remedies might apply. Unfortunately, the law provides little relief in many cases involving trees and views, but taking early action and seeking professional advice may help you protect your property's value and functionality. Patrick O'Connor is a solicitor at P O'Connor & Son This column is a readers' service. The content of the Property Clinic is provided for general information only. It is not intended as advice on which readers should rely. Professional or specialist advice should be obtained before persons take or refrain from any action on the basis of the content. The Irish Times and it contributors will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from reliance on any content
