Beijing – Earth seems to be taking some action on its own to offset human-driven global warming. A new study published in Nature, which involved Giovanni Forzieri, professor of Sustainable Development and Climate Change at the University of Florence, reveals that the planet's surface has increased its albedo—the ability to reflect solar radiation—over the past two decades.
The study, led by Beijing Normal University, analyzed satellite data from 2001 to 2020 and found that land areas without snow have seen a 2.2% increase in reflectivity. This change has significantly reduced the amount of solar energy absorbed by Earth.
“This shift has had a major impact,” Forzieri explains. “It has offset about 60% of the warming caused by human CO₂ emissions.” According to the researchers, the albedo increase is largely due to gradual ecological shifts in vegetation, which help counterbalance the loss of reflectivity caused by melting snow and ice. These changes, such as reduced vegetation density and increased presence of non-photosynthetic plant material, are especially evident in tropical and temperate regions.