"Germany's forests are in poor condition; four of the five most common tree species – spruce, pine, beech and oak – are not in good health," states the forest assessment prepared by Germany's Federal Ministry of Agriculture (2023). Damage of various kinds is very widespread and, depending on the tree species, has either not changed at all compared with the previous year or has changed only very slightly, the ministry noted. "The prolonged drought and high temperatures of recent years have caused extensive damage to forests over a longer period," said Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir. A healthy forest is an important ally in the fight against climate change, the minister stressed, recalling the role forests play in absorbing carbon dioxide.

In recent years, Germany's forests have been badly damaged by drought, bark beetle infestations, storms and forest fires alike. Forests act as natural carbon sinks and have a particular part to play in meeting climate targets by offsetting those emissions that are hard to avoid. Germany's Climate Act already sets annual net negative emissions targets for the land use sector (LULUCF, which also covers other carbon sinks and sources such as peatlands) for 2030, 2040 and 2045, and the government is drawing up a long-term strategy for delivering negative emissions. One of the strategy's aims is to strengthen natural carbon sinks, forests among them.

According to figures from Germany's federal statistical office (Destatis), forests across Germany absorbed 52.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 6% of the country's annual emissions. The data cover the entire ecosystem of trees, shrubs and soil, but exclude carbon stored over the long term in timber removed from the forest and used in construction materials. In 2020, for example, forests, which make up around 30% of Germany's land area, absorbed only 41.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. According to Destatis, the increase in carbon absorbed by Germany's forests may be linked to tree planting following the damage caused by drought and insect infestations in previous years.

Carbon storage in forests is an important part of Germany's climate strategy for achieving negative overall greenhouse gas emissions after 2045. The Climate Act adopted by the coalition government requires the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector to store 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2045. Carbon storage in peatlands, forests and other land areas is, however, subject to considerable fluctuation.