WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:08.980 The world's forests are an asset of tremendous value. 2 00:00:08.980 --> 00:00:11.290 Primarily, because of their ability to capture 3 00:00:11.290 --> 00:00:12.630 and to store carbon. 4 00:00:12.630 --> 00:00:15.930 Forests also purify water and air, 5 00:00:15.930 --> 00:00:19.150 and they are home to diverse plant and animal species. 6 00:00:19.150 --> 00:00:22.080 And provide livelihoods for millions of people. 7 00:00:22.080 --> 00:00:24.620 Our very conservative estimate of their value 8 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:29.150 ranges from 50 trillion to 150 trillion US dollars. 9 00:00:29.150 --> 00:00:33.220 That is more than the world's global oil reserve. 10 00:00:33.220 --> 00:00:35.230 In making our calculations, 11 00:00:35.230 --> 00:00:37.610 we considered forest's total value, 12 00:00:37.610 --> 00:00:41.550 not just the value of commercial activities like logging. 13 00:00:41.550 --> 00:00:43.550 We also measured forest's value 14 00:00:43.550 --> 00:00:46.160 in terms of climate regulation, 15 00:00:46.160 --> 00:00:47.960 environmental impact, 16 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:49.813 and social impact. 17 00:00:49.813 --> 00:00:52.560 Forests are so important to climate change, 18 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.650 that we attributed 65 to 90% of their value 19 00:00:56.650 --> 00:01:00.080 to the role they play in helping to regulate it. 20 00:01:00.080 --> 00:01:01.970 Forests store carbon on a massive scale 21 00:01:01.970 --> 00:01:04.950 and young growing forests absorb significant amounts 22 00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:07.150 of CO2 from the atmosphere. 23 00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:10.300 On the other hand, because of deforestation and decay, 24 00:01:10.300 --> 00:01:13.230 forests currently release more CO2 to the atmosphere, 25 00:01:13.230 --> 00:01:14.300 than they absorb. 26 00:01:14.300 --> 00:01:16.140 This effect will get even worse, 27 00:01:16.140 --> 00:01:18.820 if temperatures rise and forests dry out 28 00:01:18.820 --> 00:01:22.210 and then release even more CO2 to the atmosphere. 29 00:01:22.210 --> 00:01:24.410 Forests are disappearing at the rate 30 00:01:24.410 --> 00:01:26.860 of 40,000 soccer fields a day. 31 00:01:26.860 --> 00:01:28.220 If we don't act, 32 00:01:28.220 --> 00:01:30.290 in the next 30 years, 33 00:01:30.290 --> 00:01:33.840 forests could lose a third of their value. 34 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.090 The biggest action we can take, 35 00:01:36.090 --> 00:01:38.700 is to restore and plant forests, 36 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:42.370 and manage existing forests in a much more sustainable way. 37 00:01:42.370 --> 00:01:44.530 If we take immediate action now, 38 00:01:44.530 --> 00:01:48.510 we believe we could slow down the loss of forest value 39 00:01:48.510 --> 00:01:50.780 and reduce it to something like 10% 40 00:01:50.780 --> 00:01:52.130 in the next 30 years. 41 00:01:52.130 --> 00:01:55.070 Governments, NGOs, the private sector, 42 00:01:55.070 --> 00:01:58.490 and we as consumers, all need to play a part 43 00:01:58.490 --> 00:02:00.350 to avoid the most devastating effects 44 00:02:00.350 --> 00:02:04.253 of declining forests and forest values on climate change.