SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS 2024 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT

The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is far from meeting its 2030 goals to stop and reverse deforestation and degradation. In 2023, 6.37 million hectares of forest were permanently lost globally, with tropical regions in Africa and Asia failing to meet their targets. Primary forest loss remains alarmingly high, and forest degradation affects an area ten times larger than that of permanent deforestation. The report identifies unsustainable production and consumption—particularly of agricultural commodities, fossil fuels, and minerals—as primary drivers. While some progress is noted in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, and through new EU regulations like the EUDR, the report highlights a massive gap between 'green' and 'grey' financing, with trillions in harmful subsidies continuing to drive ecosystem loss. It emphasizes the critical role of Indigenous peoples and local communities, who face significant violence and limited direct access to funding despite their role as forest guardians.

• Global progress toward 2030 forest goals is insufficient, with 6.37 million hectares of forest permanently lost in 2023. Most tropical regions failed to meet their deforestation targets, with tropical Asia seeing a spike to 1.83 million hectares in 2023. Gross emissions from this permanent loss totaled 3.8 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
• Forest degradation is significantly more widespread than permanent deforestation; in 2022, 62 million hectares of forest shifted to a lower ecological integrity category, an area ten times larger than the area deforested. Additionally, 18% of tropical forests are now affected by edge effects.
• Unsustainable production of agricultural commodities, fossil fuels, and minerals remains the primary driver of forest loss. Seven agricultural products accounted for 57% of global deforestation between 2001 and 2018. Global coal production reached a record high in 2023, and mining in humid tropical forests doubled between 2000 and 2019.
• There is a stark disparity between green and grey financing. While governments spent an average of USD 2,400 million annually on green forest financing since 2010, they spent up to USD 1 trillion on grey financing. In 2024, an estimated USD 2.6 trillion in environmentally harmful subsidies are expected to promote unsustainable production and ecosystem degradation.
• Indigenous peoples and local communities are critical to forest protection but face extreme risks and funding barriers. In 2023, 196 land and environmental defenders were killed. Despite an increase in funding for tenure rights, direct access remains limited; from 2016 to 2020, only 0.6% of philanthropic donations benefited Indigenous peoples.
• Corporate efforts to eliminate deforestation from supply chains are largely insufficient. Nearly one in four high-risk companies and financial institutions have not committed to addressing deforestation, and only 21% of companies reporting to the CDP in 2023 provided comprehensive, high-quality information.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2024). SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS 2024 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024SPM_ES.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS 2024 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT. 2024. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024SPM_ES.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS 2024 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT |date=2024 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024SPM_ES.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment2024summary, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS 2024 FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2024}, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024SPM_ES.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }