This White Paper is a global state-of-the-art analysis of the role of vegetation fires in the Earth System and is published as a collective achievement of the world’s most renowned scientists and research groups working in fire science, ecology, atmospheric chemistry, remote sensing and climate change modeling. The aim of the White Paper is to support the endeavour of the United Nations and its affiliated processes and networks to address global vegetation fires and provides rationale for coordinated, international action in crossboundary fire management at global scale.