A study estimating the carbon-absorbing and -sequestrating behaviour of World Heritage forests from 2001 up to 2020 yields the following results: the UNESCO World Heritage forests sites, which cover 96 billion hectares, hold 13 billion tonnes of carbon (Gt C) in vegetation and soil and absorb about 190 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, every year.
Alarmingly, 10 of these forests emitted more CO2 than they absorbed… Degradation and fragmentation seem to afflict the World Heritage sites that ought to be the best-protected ones in the world. Continued protection and better site management are essential to prevent degradation and combat the fragmentation of these forests.
World Heritage forests are known to be important allies in the face of climate change adaptation. Their ecosystem services are of utmost importance in this matter and so is their protection.
Read the article of IUCN on their website:
For more detailed information, the report of UNESCO can be consulted: