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Tree CO2 Absorption Calculator

Work out tree co2 absorption instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Tree CO2 Absorption Calculator

A mature broadleaf tree fixes roughly 21 kg of CO2 a year, though young saplings manage only a fraction of that until the canopy develops. A hundred broadleaves over twenty years absorb about 42 tonnes, offsetting some 18,200 litres of petrol. The carbon is only stored while the wood remains - burning or decay releases it again.

Formulas

Total absorption

CO2 = trees x annual rate x years

Typical rates

broadleaf 21 kg/yr, conifer 16, fast-growing 28, sapling 5

Worked example

With the default values below, Tree CO2 Absorption Calculator returns Carbon Dioxide Absorbed of 42,000. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Number of treesminimum 0
100
Years of growthminimum 0
20
Tree typeone of Broadleaf, mature (21 kg/yr), Conifer (16 kg/yr), Fast-growing plantation (28 kg/yr), Young sapling (5 kg/yr)
Broadleaf, mature (21 kg/yr)

Results

Carbon Dioxide Absorbed
42,000 kg
Same Absorption In Tonnes
42.000
Annual Absorption Rate
2,100.0 kg/yr
Equivalent Litres Of Petrol Offset
18,182

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Total absorption
  3. 3Typical rates
  4. 4Carbon Dioxide Absorbed= 42,000 kg
  5. 5Same Absorption In Tonnes= 42.000
  6. 6Annual Absorption Rate= 2,100.0 kg/yr
  7. 7Equivalent Litres Of Petrol Offset= 18,182

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do trees absorb carbon permanently?

Only while the wood persists. Harvesting into long-lived timber products extends storage; burning or rotting returns the carbon.

Why do young trees absorb so little?

Because absorption scales with leaf area and growth increment. Uptake peaks in mid-life and falls again in old age.

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