The Roots of Forest Loss and Forest Governance

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the drivers of global forest loss, the evolution of international forest governance, and the role of private sector commitments and carbon markets in forest protection.

• Forests cover approximately 4.06 billion hectares, or 31% of global land area, and are critical for biodiversity and climate regulation. They store about 861 gigatonnes of carbon and sequester an average of 15.6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents annually.
• Between 1990 and 2020, an estimated 420 million hectares of forest were lost. While much of this was temporary, over 25% was permanent deforestation. Tropical forests are the most affected, with 4.2 million hectares of primary tropical forest lost between 2019 and 2020 alone.
• The primary driver of tropical deforestation is the conversion of primary forests into agriculture or tree plantations, with beef production pasture expansion being the largest single driver, accounting for roughly 40% of deforestation.
• Global forest governance has struggled to establish a formal treaty due to North-South divides over whether forests are sovereign national resources or common goods. Instead, a polycentric system has emerged involving the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), and the UNFCCC's REDD framework.
• Private sector 'net-zero' and deforestation-free commitments have proliferated, including the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forest and Land Use (COP 26), where 141 countries committed to end deforestation by 2030. However, these initiatives often suffer from poor implementation, lack of accountability, and the risk of 'forum shopping' for lower standards.
• Forest projects now represent 64% of the total transaction value of the voluntary carbon market as of 2020. These projects are controversial due to concerns over accounting robustness, the creation of biodiversity-poor monoculture plantations, and potential land-grabbing from Indigenous and local communities.
• Efforts to protect biodiversity, such as the '30x30' initiative and the Bonn Challenge (aiming for 350 million hectares of restoration by 2030), emphasize natural regeneration over monoculture plantations. Indigenous-held lands are critical here, as they cover 25% of the world but contain 80% of its biodiversity.

APA

Abraham,, B. (2022). The Roots of Forest Loss and Forest Governance. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/forest-loss-and-governance

Chicago

Abraham,, Ben. The Roots of Forest Loss and Forest Governance. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2022. https://www.iisd.org/articles/forest-loss-and-governance.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abraham, |first1=Ben |title=The Roots of Forest Loss and Forest Governance |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=9 May 2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/forest-loss-and-governance |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abraham2022roots, author = {Abraham,, Ben}, title = {{The Roots of Forest Loss and Forest Governance}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/forest-loss-and-governance}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }