The Climate Question · BBC World Service

Why are our tropical forests disappearing faster than ever and what can we do about It?

·26 min·2 clips

Record tropical forest loss released 3.1 billion tonnes of gases, equal to the EU's entire emissions.

Rainforest loss begins here as smoke. The opening image is an Amazon of blackened trees and choking clouds, with fire turning forest into a record source of carbon instead of a refuge. That matters far beyond the region. Tropical forests cover around 6% of the planet, yet hold more than half of its species and still help slow climate change. The programme keeps its feet on the ground. It does not treat deforestation as one villain with one fix. It follows the pressure through crops, cattle, goods, legislation, and the policies that decide whether rules hold or fade. Coca legalization gets a careful look. The guest argues that legalizing a crop would not protect a forest on its own, especially without tight rules in the countries receiving those goods. Trade law becomes part of the story. A coming EU measure is described as moving responsibility onto importers, who would need to show that incoming goods are not tied to deforestation. Indonesia gives the episode its more hopeful comparison. A UN forest programme expert points to a decade of government effort, no-burn enforcement, protective policies, and work with local communities and indigenous groups. The lesson is not flashy. It is steadiness. Researchers at WRI point to consistent policy, while Brazil's earlier progress up to about 2010 is set against the later loosening that let forest loss climb again. Flip-flopping is treated as expensive. The conversation avoids easy comfort, separating political resistance from ecological weakness and refusing to pretend that market legalization equals forest protection. The tone is grave but useful. Even when the reporting moves through fire, smoke, and damaged ecosystems, it keeps coming back to laws, enforcement, and accountability. Forests lose ground when protection weakens. Their survival depends on policy, trade, and local enforcement staying in step long enough to matter.

As heard by us

A clear, grounded look at what is burning forests and what might still protect them.

The Climate Question looks beyond the Amazon and asks why tropical forests are disappearing faster than ever, and what might slow the damage. It moves from fire scars and smoke to the machinery underneath: cattle, soy, coca, enforcement, and the policy choices that decide…

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Why you'd press play

You want the real drivers behind tropical forest loss, not slogans.

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