Offsetting the emissions of fossil fuel companies by planting trees is both economically and physically unfeasible, according to a new study from ESSEC Business School.
The research found that it would cost at least $11 trillion (£8trillion) and require a forest larger than the combined area of North and Central America to absorb emissions from the world’s 200 largest fossil fuel firms.
The study, conducted by Dr Alain Naef, Dr Nina Friggens and Patrick Njeukam, revealed that at a carbon price of $150 per ton, none of the 200 fossil fuel companies assessed would remain economically viable if they had to fully offset their emissions.
“Our findings are clear, it is cheaper to leave fossil fuels in the ground than to burn them and try to offset the damage later,” said Dr Naef.
The researchers also evaluated the use of direct air capture technologies, which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
They found this would cost more than seven times the global annual GDP and require a land area equal to all current farmland to offset historical emissions.
Beyond cost and space, the study warns of serious ecological impacts. Mass tree planting on this scale could damage biodiversity, strain water resources and threaten global food security.
The report notes that “many un-forested areas simply aren’t suitable for tree planting because trees need specific conditions – the right soil, nutrients and water – and not all land can support that. Ignoring these ecological limits risks making things worse, not better”.
The authors conclude that instead of relying on tree planting, the world must urgently reduce fossil fuel extraction to effectively combat climate change.
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