Minister Kim Jae-hyun of the Korea Forest Service (KFS) (Photo:KFS)

Minister Kim Jae-hyun of the Korea Forest Service (KFS) called for the nurturing of forests, which absorb huge amounts of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, the cause of global warming.
In an article contributed to a vernacular economic daily, KFS Minister Kim said that forests can vacuum up huge amounts of greenhouse gas carbon monoxide in the atmosphere and store them in wood.

An unprecedented heat spell has an overall impact on not only health but also the national economy. Global warming is caused by emitting excessive amounts of greenhouse gases through humans’ industrial activities. “You reap the harvest of your own sowing,” he said. If current levels of greenhouse gas emissions are retained, Seoul is forecast to see the number of days with sweltering heat last six times longer in the second half in the 21st Century.

Countries across the globe are struggling to make the planet a place to live in. But they find not easy to cut down on greenhouse gas emission since efforts to shift into an eco-friendly industrial structure take huge amounts of time and money.

The United Nations suggests the absorption of greenhouse gas carbon monoxide as an alternative option on top of greenhouse gas emission reductions. Each country is scrambling to develop carbon capture and storage technologies, but it takes huge amounts of costs and time and it remains to be seen whether they are successful.
Fortunately, forests absorb carbon monoxide through photosynthesis to protect the planet. Planting trees and nurturing forests are the fastest and most economical option of absorbing carbon monoxide.

Figures released by the National Institute of Forest Science showed that forests in Korea are estimated to absorb 22.1 million tons of carbon monoxide in 2030. The figure translates into economic value worth about 550 billion won in terms of carbon emission reductions (CER) credits on the Korean market. The more Korean forests absorb, the less carbon emission reductions the industry has — the less money Korea purchases CER credits from abroad.

It means that forests contribute to reinvigorate the national industries, preventing of foreign exchange outflows, and national budgetary saving. Forests also bring such diverse public values as air purification, prevention of national disasters, and the protection of wild plants and animals.
In July, the Korean cabinet approved a revision of 2030 national greenhouse gas emission roadmap calling for the utilizing of forests as a carbon sink. Korea joined 149 countries across the globe, which had already submitted plans to utilize forests as steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now is the time when the nation is grappling with how to put it into practice.

The KFS is making all-out efforts to manage forests like planting trees and cultivating forests to be effective in tackling global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. Individuals and companies are asked to join drives to cultivate forests and give donations to the cause on top of using more timber absorbing less carbon monoxide in the course of processing.