GEF

Unit 2  |  Humanity’s Ecological Footprint 46 Increasing global temperatures harm ecosystems and threaten critical species. Deforestation is a significant driver of climate change. Removing trees removes CO 2 from the atmosphere. Cutting down and burning of trees in places such as the Amazon basin and Indonesia releases significant amounts of carbon stored in trees and soil. This process contributes to about 20 percent of global human carbon emissions. Forests remove CO 2 from the atmosphere. DEFORESTATION Cutting down a wide area of trees.