Forests absorb a significant amount of carbon from carbon dioxide (CO₂), storing it in wood and soil. They are a major driver in mitigating global climate change, helping to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Each year, Vermont’s 4.5 million acres of forests absorb more carbon than they emit. As of 2023, these forests held an estimated 1.9 billion metric tons of CO₂-equivalent.

“If all this carbon was released tomorrow, it would equal more than 200 years’ worth of Vermont’s fossil fuel, industrial and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions,” says Dr. Ali Kosiba, University of Vermont Extension forester and head of the Vermont Forest Carbon Inventory project. “In 2022, the forest sector offset about 79% of Vermont’s fossil fuel, industrial and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.”

To monitor the carbon benefits of Vermont’s forest sector, Kosiba prepared the recently released 2025 Vermont Forest Carbon Inventory. She compiled the report in conjunction with her carbon-related work with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

The inventory covers carbon stored in forests, as well as carbon gains and losses across the forest sector, including sequestration by existing forests, urban trees, newly established forestland and harvested wood products in use and in landfills. It also measures emissions from when a forest is converted to another type of land use, such as agriculture or development.

According to the Extension forester, Vermont’s forest sequestration rate is gradually declining. Each year, forests are absorbing slightly less CO₂ than the year before. This decline is due to net forestland loss from land-use conversion and natural forest aging, as older forests sequester at a slower rate.

Since 1997, Vermont has lost an average of 5,904 acres of forestland per year. Loss of forestland not only reduces the state’s forest sector sequestration benefit but results in emissions of stored carbon.

“The inventory is not meant to inform policy,” Kosiba explains, noting that the State of Vermont produces and regularly updates the Vermont Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast that is the official overall document. “It is for educational purposes and outreach to communicate the importance of forests as well as threats to their benefits.”

Projections suggest that Vermont’s forests will continue to be a carbon sink although at a lower rate. Ongoing monitoring is crucial to track these dynamics and ensure that forests continue to provide climate benefits. However, climate change impacts, socioeconomic factors or other potential changes could alter forest growth and carbon sequestration in future years.

The inventory will help landowners and forest managers better comprehend the role of forests in slowing down the rate of climate change through carbon storage and sequestration and ensure that steps are taken now to keep forests healthy into the future.

To access the 2025 Vermont Forest Carbon Inventory, go to https://go.uvm.edu/vt-carbon.