Global forest loss hit the highest level on record last year, per detailed University of Maryland and World Resources Institute tracking data. Why it matters: The CO2 emissions from fires — the largest single cause of forest loss last year — are very high.

Massive fires fueled by climate change led global forest loss to smash records in 2024, according to a report issued on Wednesday.

Global loss of tropical and boreal forests surged to a record high last year as unprecedented temperatures fueled fires, releasing more than four times the emissions of all air tr