Tackling global forest loss: what US can do

Global Witness calls on the US Congress and the Biden administration to prioritize global forest protection by passing a strengthened FOREST Act and regulating the financial sector. The author highlights that up to 40% of US GDP is linked to sectors with high climate-related forest and land use risks, and that $5 billion in raw commodities were imported from high-risk countries in 2020. The document advocates for a regulatory approach that covers both legal and illegal deforestation, includes Indigenous communities in negotiations, and addresses the failure of non-binding financial commitments, such as those within the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ).

• The US economy has significant exposure to deforestation risks, with up to 40% of US GDP generated from sectors containing high risk of exposure to climate-related forest, food, and land use risks. In 2020, the US imported more than $5 billion of raw commodities and derivatives from countries with a high risk of illegal deforestation.
• The proposed FOREST Act aims to prevent the import of products from illegally deforested land—specifically cattle, palm oil, soybeans, rubber, wood pulp, and cocoa—and would establish a fund to create action plans with high-risk sourcing countries. However, it is considered less comprehensive than EU law because it focuses on illegal deforestation rather than both legal and illegal deforestation, and covers fewer products.
• Non-binding industry commitments to reduce deforestation risk have been ineffective. For instance, 360 asset managers and owners in the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) held an estimated $8.5 billion in forest-risk investments in November 2022, representing only a 3% decrease since September 2021. Some US-based institutions, including Vanguard, increased their exposure during this period, with Vanguard subsequently exiting GFANZ.
• Effective forest protection requires the inclusion of Indigenous communities in negotiations to address how agricultural expansion leads to land-grabbing, violence, and abuses.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Tackling global forest loss: what US can do. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/tackling-global-forest-loss-what-us-can-do/

Chicago

Global Witness. Tackling global forest loss: what US can do. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/tackling-global-forest-loss-what-us-can-do/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=Tackling global forest loss: what US can do |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/tackling-global-forest-loss-what-us-can-do/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndtackling, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Tackling global forest loss: what US can do}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/forests/tackling-global-forest-loss-what-us-can-do/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }