New data released on Tuesday morning from the University of Maryland ( detailed view (via the World Resources Institute's Global Forest Watch platform) show that the world lost 4.1 million hectares, or about 10 million acres, of primary rainforest in 2022.

• Findings question effectiveness voluntary pledge of leaders 145 countries Stop and reverse deforestation at COP26 in Glasgow until 2030.
• Primary forests refer to mature forests in the tropics.
• WRI analysis shows that this amount of forest loss released 2.7 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, roughly equal to India's annual fossil fuel emissions.
• Emissions from deforestation in 2022 have similar range as the previous year .

(Andrew Freedman)