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Forest Fires and Carbon Neutrality for Chile

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The damage caused by the megafires of the last season has been substantial. In addition to the deaths of 26 people, another dimension that must be considered is the greenhouse gas emissions they generate, which are directly related to climate change. According to professors Horacio Gilabert and Francisco Meza, both from the UC Center for Global Change, "just one or a few fire seasons like the current one can render all efforts in decarbonizing the economy, afforestation, restoration, and management of native forests insufficient to meet a trajectory leading to carbon neutrality."

"The 2022-2023 season, with over 400,000 hectares affected due to a series of megafires, will likely go down in history as the second-largest wildfire season on record (1963-1964). The damage is enormous, starting with the most critical: these fires have claimed the lives of 26 Chileans. Additionally, they have directly impacted our communities, biodiversity, natural and cultural heritage, and rural and urban infrastructure.

Another dimension that must be considered regarding the damage caused by these megafires is the greenhouse gas emissions they generate, which are directly linked to climate change. By examining the trajectory of total greenhouse gas emissions in Chile since 1990, it is possible to confirm that the peaks and troughs of these total emissions closely follow emissions associated with forest fires. For example, the national greenhouse gas inventory recorded in 2017 (the year of the January-February megafires) that forests, which had been capturing an average (1990-2016) of 66.4 million tons of CO2 equivalent up to that year, captured only 11.7 million tons of CO2eq. Other years with high emission levels can also be identified: 1998, 2012, and 2015, corresponding to years when large-scale fires occurred. In the context of Chile's commitments to achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, such events represent a significant setback. Just one or a few fire seasons like the current one can render all efforts in decarbonizing the economy, afforestation, restoration, and management of native forests insufficient to meet a trajectory leading to carbon neutrality.

Another dimension that must be considered regarding the damage caused by these megafires is the greenhouse gas emissions they generate, which are directly linked to climate change. By examining the trajectory of total greenhouse gas emissions in Chile since 1990, it is possible to confirm that the peaks and troughs of these total emissions closely follow emissions associated with forest fires. For example, the national greenhouse gas inventory recorded in 2017 (the year of the January-February megafires) that forests, which had been capturing an average (1990-2016) of 66.4 million tons of CO2 equivalent up to that year, captured only 11.7 million tons of CO2eq. Other years with high emission levels can also be identified: 1998, 2012, and 2015, corresponding to years when large-scale fires occurred. In the context of Chile's commitments to achieving a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, such events represent a significant setback. Just one or a few fire seasons like the current one can render all efforts in decarbonizing the economy, afforestation, restoration, and management of native forests insufficient to meet a trajectory leading to carbon neutrality.

Source:www.uc.cl