Global biomass burning emissions drop to lowest level since 2003 – but recent wildfires threaten gains
"El Niño conditions have the potential to increase global fire emissions."
Global biomass burning emissions reached their lowest level for the first six months of the year since records began in 2003, but recent wildfire activity could jeopardise these gains.
Data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) Global Fire Assimilation System show that total estimated carbon emissions from biomass burning between January 1 and June 30, 2026 were just under 400 million tonnes of carbon, marking the lowest first-half total in the dataset's 24-year history.
