2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment argues that a radical transformation of development pathways and finance is necessary to stop forest loss. It calls for a shift from 'business-as-usual' extraction to rights-based governance, urging signatories of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration to increase transparency and data collection. Key recommendations include redirecting 'gray' finance toward 'green' finance, securing land tenure for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and implementing mandatory corporate disclosures to eliminate deforestation from supply chains.

• There is a significant imbalance between public finance that drives deforestation ('gray' finance) and finance committed to forest protection ('green' finance'). Between 2010 and 2021, gray public finance flows averaged over USD 46 billion per year, while green flows averaged only USD 2.2 billion per year.
• The document calls for a shift away from 'business-as-usual' economic models based on extraction, noting that such systems have already destabilized six of the nine planetary boundaries, including land use.
• Governments are urged to implement bold, binding mandates to protect forests, including due diligence and supply chain regulations, moratoria, 'no-go' zones, and the legal recognition of Indigenous rights.
• Forest-based carbon credits should be used only for residual emissions or additional mitigation contributions, and must not replace direct emission reductions required for science-based decarbonization targets.
• Effective forest conservation requires a rights-based approach that secures land tenure for Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and local communities (LCs), protects environmental defenders from violence, and ensures inclusive participation in decision-making.
• There is a critical lack of data on forest restoration, regrowth, and degradation, which hinders the ability to track progress toward 2030 goals and hold pledgers accountable.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2023). 2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023Recommendations-1.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. 2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT. 2023. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023Recommendations-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT |date=2023 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023Recommendations-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment20232023, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{2023 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2023}, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023Recommendations-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }