New York Declaration on Forests

The New York Declaration on Forests outlines a global strategy to halve the rate of natural forest loss by 2020 and end it by 2030, while restoring 350 million hectares of land by 2030. It identifies commodity production—specifically soy, palm oil, beef, and paper—as accounting for roughly half of global deforestation and argues that forest conservation is a cost-effective solution for limiting global warming to 2°C. The declaration commits to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, strengthening forest governance, and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples.

• Global deforestation is driven significantly by the production of commodities, specifically soy, palm oil, beef, and paper, which together account for approximately 50% of the total loss. Other contributing factors include mining, energy, infrastructure, urban expansion, and fuel wood collection.
• The signatories commit to specific time-bound targets for forest preservation: halving the rate of natural forest loss globally by 2020 and aiming to end such loss entirely by 2030.
• The declaration sets a restoration goal of 150 million hectares of degraded forestlands and landscapes by 2020, with a further 200 million hectares to be restored by 2030.
• Forest conservation and restoration are identified as critical for limiting global warming to 2°C, with the potential to reduce emissions by between 4.5 and 8.8 billion tons annually by 2030.
• The agreement emphasizes the need to protect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly regarding their lands and resources, and to include them in decision-making processes.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (n.d.). New York Declaration on Forests. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NYDF_Declaration.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. New York Declaration on Forests. n.d. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NYDF_Declaration.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=New York Declaration on Forests |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NYDF_Declaration.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{forestdeclarationassessmentndnew, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{New York Declaration on Forests}}, publisher = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/NYDF_Declaration.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }