Leaf By Leaf, Climbing Global Climate Ladder: India Joins World’s Top Ten Forest Carbon Sinks

Last Updated:October 24, 2025, 05:08 IST

The nation's forests and tree cover sequestered an estimated 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year between 2021 and 2025

Globally, the world's forests acted as a net carbon sink, removing approximately 0.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually during the same period. Representational image

India has cemented its role as a major contributor to global climate action, ranking among the world’s top ten countries with the largest forest carbon sinks, according to the latest report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The nation’s forests and tree cover demonstrated a substantial annual carbon absorption capacity, sequestering an estimated 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) every year between 2021 and 2025. This achievement underscores the success of India’s large-scale afforestation efforts and conservation policies.

The FAO report, titled “Forest Emissions and Removals – Global, Regional and Country Trends 1990-2025", provides crucial context for this figure. Globally, the world’s forests acted as a net carbon sink, removing approximately 0.8 billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere annually during the same period. India’s 150 million tonnes contribution places it alongside Belarus and behind major sinks like the Russian Federation (1,150 Mt CO₂), China (840 Mt CO₂), and the United States (410 Mt CO₂). Collectively, the top ten nations account for nearly 90 per cent of global forest carbon sequestration.

Furthermore, the recent Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 highlights India’s progress in expanding its green cover. The country has climbed to the ninth position globally in total forest area and, critically, maintains the third rank worldwide in annual net forest gain, reflecting a consistent positive trend in forest expansion.

This robust performance is vital for India to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, which includes the goal of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through increased forest and tree cover by 2030. Initiatives like the National Mission for a Green India and various state-level plantation drives have been instrumental in driving this growth.

While the achievement is significant, the challenge remains in ensuring the quality and density of the forest cover and safeguarding existing biodiversity from the pressures of development and climate change. India’s continued success in boosting its forest carbon sink capacity will be essential in its fight against the climate crisis and in positioning it as a responsible ecological leader on the global stage.

Pathikrit Sen Gupta

Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He trawls X via ...Read More

Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He trawls X via ...

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