New research shows Earth's land carbon sink absorbed 2.36 gigatonnes of carbon in 2025, a strong rebound after the near-collapse seen in 2023 and 2024. The recovery was driven mainly by tropical forests regaining their carbon uptake as extreme weather eased. That is 0.71 gigatonnes more than the 2015-2022 average, according to preliminary analysis led by Philippe Ciais at the Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory in France. The rebound is good news, but scientists warn it may not last. A powerful El Niño is already forming and could bring heat and drought to the Amazon and other key carbon sinks next year. The land sink is also estimated to be about 25 percent weaker than it would be without climate change and natural variability, so its long-term capacity to store carbon is still declining even as short-term conditions improve.
