Forests are crucial for nature and people. They provide food, fuel, shelter and income for over a billion people, a home for countless species, and they regulate our climate. Despite this, we’re failing to protect our vital forest life system.
The Forest Declaration Assessment – of which WWF is a partner – published its latest report at the end of October, and it paints a bleak picture of the world’s lack of progress on its forest commitments.
The annual report showed that deforestation worsened in 2022, despite worldwide pledges to protect and restore forests. And countries, companies and investors fell a long way short of meeting annual targets that would see an end to deforestation by 2030.
Overall, global deforestation increased by 4% in 2022, with agriculture being the major driver of forest loss in the tropics. In North America and northern Europe, logging and climate change are the main threats.
© MARTIN HARVEY
The report highlighted a huge gap in the funding needed to support forests. Every year up to 100 times more money is invested in activities that harm forests than is spent on actions that could save and restore them.
This is depriving local and Indigenous communities of vital resources, while more than a billion people in forested areas live in poverty. We must change the way we finance, use and manage forests to stop their destruction and restore what’s been lost. There’s still time to do this, and there is hope.
The Forest Declaration Assessment showed that over 50 countries are on track to end deforestation by 2030. And our Forest Pathways report defines for the first time the pathways we need to build to stop destroying forests and meet global commitments.
Forest-rich nations and territories need support to grow and manage their natural resources sustainably – they shouldn’t have to choose between saving their forests or developing their economy.
We know forests can thrive under the stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities. By strengthening their land rights, we can help reduce poverty and ensure all forest peoples benefit from, and protect, their local environment.
We must take action now so that our forests can thrive again. You can find out more about our work on forests, and sign our petition below to call on leaders to do more to protect these vital habitats.
Ask for action now
Contact your MP today to ask them to hold the UK government to account on its promises to protect forests.
BANNER IMAGE © SCOTLANDBIGPICTURE.COM / WWF-UK
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