Deforestation and land-use change for oil palm expansion have resulted in greenhouse gas emissions, forest and peatland fires and local climate warming^{[6] [19] [20] [21]} – mainly because of land transformation. Different phases of the oil palm cultivation cycle can cause the release of the potent greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane^[1].

However, mature oil palms – in contrast to young oil palm – can also be carbons sinks^[22]. According to Guillaume et al.^[21], oil palm cultivation is an efficient form of land-use regarding yield per unit of carbon storage loss.

Then again, oil palm cultivation and plantation management can lead to air, soil and water pollution, water cycling changes, water loss and land degradation^{[6] [23] [19] [24]}.