647 megatons of CO2 were released by Canada’s wildfires, more than these countries total emissions

The carbon released in the 2023 wildfires exceeded those of seven of the ten largest national emitters in 2022, including Germany, Japan, and Russia.

Wildfires that swept Canada’s woodlands last year released more greenhouse gases than some of the largest emitting countries, a study found on Wednesday, calling into question national emissions budgets that rely on forests to be carbon stores.