Goal 5 assessment

The 2020 assessment concludes that the goal of restoring 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not on track, with global forest cover gain meeting only one fifth of the target. While political will is evident through 63 Bonn Challenge pledges totaling 172.82 million hectares, biophysical progress is hindered by data gaps and the fact that tree cover gains are often offset by ongoing deforestation. A case study of Central America highlights this dynamic, showing a net loss of 320 million hectares of tree cover between 2011 and 2018 despite significant gross gains. The report notes a growing trend of private-sector restoration pledges from companies like Amazon and Nestle, though financial transparency and systematic planning remain significant hurdles for scaling forest landscape restoration (FLR).

• The global target to restore 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not being met, with current estimates suggesting only one fifth of the target has been achieved.
• A systematic literature review indicates that since 2000, approximately 26.7 million hectares of forest landscapes saw tree cover gain, but the average rate of restoration decreased from about 2 million hectares per year (2000-10) to less than 1 million hectares per year after 2011.
• In Central America, gross tree cover gains of 1,903 million hectares between 2011 and 2018 were offset by 2,222 million hectares of loss, resulting in a net loss of 320 million hectares. El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala saw net increases, while Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua saw net losses.
• Monitoring restoration is technically difficult because satellite data cannot distinguish between different types of tree cover gain, such as active restoration, abandoned land, or monoculture plantations.
• There are 63 Bonn Challenge pledges from countries, sub-national governments, and companies totaling 172.82 million hectares for 2020 and 2030 combined.
• Private sector engagement is increasing, with companies such as AstraZeneca, Mars, Mastercard, Nestle, Starbucks, and Timberland making quantified restoration goals, and Amazon providing a USD 10 million grant for restoration in the Appalachian Mountains.

APA

Gladstone, J., & Reytar, K. (2020). Goal 5 assessment. Forest Declaration Assessment. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020NYDFGoal5.pdf

Chicago

Gladstone, Jillian, and Katie Reytar. Goal 5 assessment. Forest Declaration Assessment, 2020. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020NYDFGoal5.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gladstone |first1=Jillian |last2=Reytar |first2=Katie |title=Goal 5 assessment |publisher=Forest Declaration Assessment |date=November 2020 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020NYDFGoal5.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gladstone2020goal, author = {Gladstone, Jillian and Reytar, Katie}, title = {{Goal 5 assessment}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020NYDFGoal5.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }