Is carbon stored in trees equivalent to fossil carbon?

It is helpful to think of two “types” of carbon, that which comes from living material and that which comes from fossil fuel.

It’s the same element, but the former is in current circulation as part of the carbon cycle, whereas the latter has been out of circulation for millions of years. It is the addition of this fossil carbon to the circulating pool that drives global warming.

Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and lock it up in their tissues. Although it wouldn’t be possible to plant enough trees to draw down all of the emissions from fossil fuel, we are nevertheless able to state with confidence that a given amount of atmospheric CO2 has been sequestered.

Removal of atmospheric carbon, whether it originates from fossil or biological sources, has the same positive effect on climate change.