Green Building Africa reported on Monday that natural carbon sinks absorb 40% of the carbon dioxide released by human activity, yet these systems remain largely unpriced. The outlet framed the gap between the climate service these sinks provide and the lack of a market value attached to it as a central problem.
A separate report from Carbon Herald, cited alongside the Green Building Africa item, says Wood Mackenzie has warned that natural carbon sinks are on the brink of collapse. Together, the two headlines point to the same concern: systems that quietly remove a large share of human emissions are under pressure and are not being paid for the work they do.
Carbon sinks are natural reservoirs that take in more carbon than they release, including forests, soils and oceans. According to Green Building Africa, the share of human CO2 they absorb stands at 40%, which means a substantial portion of emissions never remains in the atmosphere. Despite that role, the reporting indicates these sinks are not widely valued in carbon markets or pricing mechanisms.
