ESTABLISHING FOREST PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE

The briefing argues that the EU must move beyond simply cleaning up its own supply chains to create 'win-win' Forest Partnerships with developing countries. These partnerships should address root causes of deforestation—such as poverty and weak land tenure—while supporting Indigenous Peoples, small-scale producers, and nature-based solutions to meet Paris Agreement and CBD objectives. The authors recommend leveraging the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) for funding and using 'Forest Diplomacy' to encourage other major consuming regions to adopt similar measures.

• The EU's current focus on deforestation-free commodity supply chains is a necessary first step, but it must be complemented by partnerships that help producing countries become deforestation-free to ensure a holistic approach with government and civil society buy-in.
• Forest Partnerships should be tailored to each country and integrate multiple sectors, including mining, energy, infrastructure, and agricultural commodities, to address root causes like poverty and weak forest governance.
• Securing the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities is identified as a high-impact strategy for conserving primary natural forests, requiring the promotion of community-led forestry and the enforcement of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
• Supporting small-scale producers to transition to sustainable practices is essential because small-scale agriculture is a primary driver of deforestation in many nations.
• Nature-based solutions are critical for climate goals; intact forests already remove approximately 30% of annual emissions, and further land-use actions could reduce remaining net emissions by another 30% or more.
• The EU should employ 'Forest Diplomacy' to prevent 'leakage,' where companies export sustainable products to the EU while continuing to send deforested products to other markets.
• To ensure adequate funding, the authors recommend that the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) include a substantial mainstreaming target for climate and biodiversity, specifically aligning with the European Parliament's 45% target for climate and environment spend.

APA

ClientEarth (n.d.). ESTABLISHING FOREST PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE. https://www.clientearth.org/media/xpgpybtk/ce_joint-briefing-ci-wcs-forests_partnerships.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. ESTABLISHING FOREST PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE. n.d. https://www.clientearth.org/media/xpgpybtk/ce_joint-briefing-ci-wcs-forests_partnerships.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=ESTABLISHING FOREST PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/xpgpybtk/ce_joint-briefing-ci-wcs-forests_partnerships.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearthndestablishing, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{ESTABLISHING FOREST PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEOPLE, BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/xpgpybtk/ce_joint-briefing-ci-wcs-forests_partnerships.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }