FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT SPECIAL REPORT

This report assesses the role of voluntary sustainability initiatives (VSIs) in mitigating the impacts of mining on global forests. It finds that while mining affects up to one-third of forest ecosystems—with direct deforestation concentrated in tropical rainforests—current VSIs often lack the specificity, governance representation, and lifecycle coverage (missing the design phase) necessary to be effective. The report highlights a growing threat from the energy transition's mineral demand and argues that VSIs alone are insufficient without supportive public policies and more robust, biome-specific standards.

• Mining activities cause significant forest loss through direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts. While direct tree cover loss is estimated at 1.4 million hectares from 2001 to 2020, indirect and cumulative effects are considered a greater risk, with mining estimated to affect up to one-third of global forest ecosystems.
• Mining-related deforestation is disproportionately concentrated in ecologically sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas. Tropical rainforests experienced 62% of direct mining-related deforestation between 2001 and 2020, despite accounting for only 29% of global mining land.
• The demand for minerals to support the energy and digital transitions is expected to increase the threat to forests. Demand for minerals used in clean energy technologies is projected to double by 2040, and may need to quadruple to meet Paris Agreement goals.
• Voluntary sustainability initiatives (VSIs) in the mining sector face several structural and design challenges that limit their effectiveness in mitigating forest impacts. These include a lack of biome-specific language, inadequate representation of forest and Indigenous experts in governance, and a weak business case for companies to exceed minimum regulatory standards.
• A review of 26 standards and guidance documents from 20 VSIs found that approximately half (12 out of 26) do not explicitly recognize forest impacts, deforestation, or forest degradation, although most (22 out of 26) reference these issues implicitly through broader terms like biodiversity or ecosystems.
• Many mining VSIs fail to address the full lifecycle of mining activities, focusing primarily on the operational phase. This is a critical gap because environmental and social outcomes are often determined during the mine design and development stages.
• There is a significant gap in VSI coverage for medium-scale mining (MSM) and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). While ASM accounts for 15-20% of global non-fuel mineral production and poses a growing threat to tropical forests, few VSIs are specifically designed for this sub-sector.
• Evidence from other sectors suggests that voluntary certification schemes are not sufficient on their own to address forest impacts. For example, an assessment of voluntary standards for five agricultural commodities found no effect on tree cover loss in primary forests across 67 tropical countries.

APA

Nuñez, P., Gómez, B. R., Levin-Nally, E., Matson, E., & Rynearson, A. (2025). FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT SPECIAL REPORT. Forest Declaration Assessment. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MiningVSIs-2025.pdf

Chicago

Nuñez, Pablo, Blanca Racionero Gómez, Estelle Levin-Nally, Erin Matson, and Anna Rynearson. FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT SPECIAL REPORT. Forest Declaration Assessment, 2025. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MiningVSIs-2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nuñez |first1=Pablo |last2=Gómez |first2=Blanca Racionero |last3=Levin-Nally |first3=Estelle |last4=Matson |first4=Erin |last5=Rynearson |first5=Anna |title=FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT SPECIAL REPORT |publisher=Forest Declaration Assessment |date=2025 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MiningVSIs-2025.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nuez2025forest, author = {Nuñez, Pablo and Gómez, Blanca Racionero and Levin-Nally, Estelle and Matson, Erin and Rynearson, Anna}, title = {{FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT SPECIAL REPORT}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2025}, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MiningVSIs-2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }