PROGRESS ON THE NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS

The report finds that while the Paris Agreement has integrated forests into the international climate agenda, national ambitions in NDCs remain insufficient and often lack quantitative targets. Public finance for forest climate goals is a small fraction of the required amount, with 'grey' finance for deforestation-driving sectors vastly outweighing 'green' investments. While many countries have established REDD+ programs and robust monitoring systems, implementation is hindered by weak governance, widespread illegality, and a lack of secure land tenure for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The report recommends scaling up domestic and international finance, strengthening land rights, and expanding demand-side regulations in consumer countries to curb illegal deforestation.

• The Paris Agreement has successfully integrated forests into the international climate agenda, meaning Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests has been achieved.
• National climate pledges (NDCs) generally lack sufficient ambition; for a group of 32 high-potential countries, combined quantitative targets for forests represent only 50% of their economic mitigation potential, and just 16% if India's afforestation target is excluded.
• Public funding for forest climate goals is severely inadequate, with current international and domestic investments averaging USD 2.4 billion per year, which is only 0.5–5 percent of the estimated USD 45 to 460 billion needed annually.
• There is a stark imbalance between 'green' finance and 'grey' finance; for example, Brazil and Indonesia provided over USD 40 billion in subsidies to four deforestation-driving commodities, while receiving only about USD 346 million in REDD+ financing over the same period.
• Forest governance is undermined by widespread illegality, with an estimated 69% of tropical forest conversion for commercial agriculture between 2013 and 2019 being illegal.
• Despite the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in forest conservation, at least half of IPLC-held lands globally lack legal recognition by governments.
• While the number of countries with robust forest monitoring systems has doubled since 2005 to 102, these systems are often not integrated into NDCs or national greenhouse gas inventories.
• Consumer countries are beginning to implement demand-side measures, such as the UK's May 2021 due diligence law and China's July 2020 amendment to its Forest Law banning illegally sourced timber.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2021). PROGRESS ON THE NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021NYDFReport-low-res.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. PROGRESS ON THE NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS. 2021. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021NYDFReport-low-res.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=PROGRESS ON THE NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS |date=October 2021 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021NYDFReport-low-res.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment2021progress, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{PROGRESS ON THE NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021NYDFReport-low-res.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }