A Single Tree Can Absorb 22 Kilograms of CO2 Per Year

Through the chemical marvel of photosynthesis, trees act as powerful, self-assembling carbon capture machines. Using only sunlight for energy, they pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combine it with water to create glucose—the sugary fuel for their growth. The carbon from that CO2 isn't just held; it's physically converted into the tree's biomass, becoming its trunk, branches, and roots. As a beneficial byproduct of this essential process, the tree releases the life-giving oxygen that we, and most other animals, depend on to breathe.

This silent, constant work has a surprisingly significant impact. The 22 kilograms of CO2 a mature tree sequesters annually is roughly equivalent to the emissions produced by driving a standard car for over 150 kilometers (about 90 miles). When you consider its entire lifespan, which can span decades or even centuries, that same tree can lock away a metric ton of CO2, effectively becoming a long-term carbon vault. This is why global reforestation and the preservation of old-growth forests are such vital strategies; each tree is a small but crucial part of a planetary-scale solution to absorbing our excess carbon emissions.