Research conducted by Dr. Simon L. Lewis, a Royal Society Research Fellow at the Leeds University Earth & Biosphere Institute, has found that trees in undisturbed tropical forests are absorbing 4.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, or close to one-fifth of the CO2 that is released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels.

Results of the analysis of 40 years of tree records from tropical forests in the Central African country of Gabon show that trees have been getting bigger and are mopping up extra carbon. Based on estimates provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the research suggests that tropical forests throughout the world are responsible for around half of all land based carbon absorption.

“Tropical forest trees are absorbing about 18% of the CO₂ added to the atmosphere each year from burning fossil fuels, substantially buffering the rate of climate change” said Dr Lewis.

Assuming a carbon price of $20 Australian dollars per tonne, the value of intact tropical forest as a carbon sink would be just under $100 billion.