Forest fires generated a record amount of carbon emissions in parts of Siberia, the United States and Turkey in 2021, with climate change fanning this phenomenon. Wildfires emitted 1.76 billion tonnes of carbon globally in 2021, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. That is more than double Germany’s annual carbon dioxide emissions.
Globally, carbon emissions from forest fires did not reach the highest level since 2003, when records began, but Copernicus said such emissions were likely to increase as climate changes unfold. In the Mediterranean, hot dry air caused intense blazes in Greece and Turkey. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, and the air quality deteriorated drastically as the fires generated high levels of particulate matter harmful to health.
Given the EU’s commitment to becoming the first climate-neutral continent, how does the Commission view the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service’s forecasts of increasing carbon emissions from forest fires, when placed in the context of climate change?