Study: Amazon rainforest emitted more CO₂ than it absorbed over 15 years — Der Spiegel

Over the past 15 years, the Amazon rainforest has released more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than it has absorbed. This conclusion was reached by a group of researchers led by Luciana Gatti of the National Institute for Space Research in São Paulo.

Assessment of the carbon balance

As Der Spiegel reports, the study results were published in the scientific journal Nature. In the study area, covering about 6.7 million square kilometres, an average of approximately 0.32 billion tonnes of carbon was released annually.

The scientists analysed atmospheric CO₂ measurements from 2010 to 2024. Amazonian forests are important for regulating South America's climate and store substantial carbon reserves.

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Impact of human activity

The authors believe that the main cause of the shift in the greenhouse gas balance was not climate change, but direct human activity in the Amazon. This includes, in particular, deforestation and forest degradation, as well as biomass burning. Climate phenomena such as El Niño, the researchers concluded, further intensify regional climate impacts.

The team called for an end to deforestation, stricter control over land burning, and the introduction of forest restoration programmes. At the same time, 2,874 square kilometres of forest were destroyed in the Brazilian part of the Amazon between August 2025 and July 2026 — the lowest figure in a decade, according to Brazilian authorities.