A new study in Nature Communications used machine learning to map carbon storage across the Congo Basin rainforests. It found that selectively managed logging concessions account for 57% of net carbon removals, outperforming unmanaged forests where slash-and-burn agriculture and illegal logging cause nearly as much emissions as storage. The authors argue that expanding sustainable logging could provide local income while keeping carbon in trees. Critics point out that corruption and conflict in countries like the DRC make sustainable logging difficult. Some conservation groups argue that returning forest management to local communities and promoting agroecology would be more effective than expanding concessions. The study only measured carbon, not biodiversity impacts, which remain a concern even in well-managed concessions.
