Carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires have surged by 60 per cent globally since 2001, according to a new study.

The study co-authored by Professor Stefan Doerr, Director of the Centre for Wildfire Research, at Swansea University also revealed that the emissions almost tripled in some parts of the northern boreal forests.

The study was led by Dr Matthew Jones, previously a research officer at Swansea now at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research of the University of East Anglia and has been published in Science.

It is among the first studies globally to examine the differences between forest and non-forest fires, and shows that in one of the largest pyromes, which spans boreal forests in Eurasia and North America, fire emissions nearly tripled between 2001 and 2023.

Increased emissions amounted to an additional half a billion tonnes of CO2 per year were linked to a rise in fire-favourable weather, such as the hot-dry conditions seen during heatwaves and droughts, as well as increased rates of forest growth creating more vegetation fuels.

Both trends are promoted by rapid warming in the high northern latitudes, which is happening twice as fast as the global average.

The study reveals an increase in the severity of forest wildfires over the past two decades.

The work involved an international team of scientists from the UK, Netherlands, US, Brazil, and Spain who warn that further expansion of forest fires can only be averted if the primary causes of climate change, such as fossil fuel emissions, are tackled.

Dr Matthew Jones said: “Our findings underscore the urgency for policymakers and environmental agencies to prioritize climate mitigation and proactive forest management strategies to protect these critical ecosystems from the accelerating threat of wildfires.”