Forests are among the world’s most important ecosystems — sustaining global water cycles, hosting roughly 80% of the earth’s animal species, and providing resources that support the livelihoods of up to 20% of the world’s population.
Forest Conservation
Preserving forests for a sustainable future
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Forests & Carbon Emissions
Trees are key contributors in reducing carbon emissions, helping to mitigate the impact of global warming. Forests act as a major carbon sink, absorbing 7.6 billion metric tons per year — which is 1.5 times more carbon than the United States emits annually.
This is why deforestation has such a negative impact on the planet. Since 1850, it has generated about 30% of all carbon emissions. And in 2022, deforestation and agriculture released 3.9 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere.
Partnerships for Conservation
Forest conservation is a complex activity that requires the collaboration of landscape stakeholders at multiple levels.
PUR works with local communities, governments, industry, and technical partners on conservation projects that are customized for the specific regional context, while also supporting international standards.
Empowering Local Communities
At their core, forest conservation projects are community empowerment initiatives. Local populations relate to trees as a source of production, food, water, and raw materials — which can unfortunately contribute to forest degradation, as people over-harvest resources to support their economic and livelihood needs.
Yet forest conservation is not about completely restricting these resources. PUR focuses on building long-term frameworks and providing in-field training at the landscape level, enabling communities to sustainably manage resources in a way that improves local livelihoods while also protecting the forests.
Forest Conservation Case Study
PUR’s flagship forest conservation project — the Biosphere Martin Sagrado — is located in the San Martin district of Peru, among cocoa and coffee-producing landscapes.
Covering almost 300,000 hectares, the project engages local communities in the collective preservation of the primary forest near Rio Huayabamba, a tributary to the Amazon River.
This collaboration contributes to the avoidance of forest-related emissions, while providing important ecosystem services at the local, regional, and global level.
