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In 2022, global deforestation increased by 4% over 2021 to 6.6 million hectares, with emissions rising 6% to 4 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent. While Tropical Asia showed some progress against baseline levels, Tropical Latin America and the Caribbean were significantly off track for 2030 goals. Despite exponential growth in tropical forest regrowth, the report highlights a critical lack of transparent data on global restoration efforts.

The Forest Finance 2023 report assesses the alignment of global public and private finance with forest goals, highlighting a significant gap between current funding and the investment required to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment executive summary reports that global gross deforestation in 2022 exceeded the trajectory required to eliminate deforestation by 2030, despite progress in over 50 countries and specific reductions in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The document examines the state of forest governance globally, noting that while protected area coverage has increased, human rights violations and the 'downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement' of these areas persist. It highlights a disparity between international focus on tropical forests and the limited scrutiny of industrial logging in boreal and temperate forests in developed nations. While some progress in the legal recognition of Indigenous Peoples' and local communities' land rights has occurred, approximately 1.375 billion hectares of customary claims remain unrecognized globally, and environmental defenders continue to face violence.

The document finds that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals and 2025 private sector deforestation targets, driven by global demand for commodities. It highlights a lack of government priority and insufficient REDD+ incentives, limited impact from a small group of leading companies, and a gap between the recognized importance of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and the actual funding and legal protections they receive.

The document details the definitions, data sources, and analytical frameworks used to assess global forest loss, degradation, and restoration. It establishes a 'gross zero' deforestation benchmark for 2030, utilizing a linear reduction pathway from a 2018-2020 baseline. The annexes include a detailed regional aggregation based on UN geoscheme designations and a data table comparing 2022 deforestation levels across 30 high-impact countries against their interim targets.

The document outlines sustainability standards for the mining and processing sectors, such as the ICMM Mining Principles and IRMA Standard, which emphasize biodiversity conservation and the mitigation hierarchy. It provides financial estimates for forest protection, noting a global need of USD 45–460 billion annually to meet Paris Agreement goals, while contrasting this with 'gray finance'—including agricultural subsidies estimated between USD 378 billion and USD 635 billion per year—that may risk deforestation. Additionally, it identifies the emergence of green taxonomies in the EU and Colombia and risk assessment frameworks in countries like Brazil and Malaysia to align financial flows with nature preservation.

This document consists of two annexes. Annex 2 lists sustainability schemes for the mining and processing sectors, such as the ICMM Mining Principles and the ResponsibleSteel Standard, focusing on their requirements for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Annex 3 analyzes forest finance, estimating global needs between USD 45 billion and 460 billion annually to meet Paris Agreement goals, while contrasting 'green finance' (e.g., REDD+ funding) with 'gray finance,' including agricultural subsidies estimated between USD 378 billion and 635 billion per year and private finance to forest-risk commodity supply chains totaling USD 343 billion from 2010-2022.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with global gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares in 2022. While over 50 countries are on track to eliminate deforestation, including sustainable reductions in Indonesia and Malaysia, these gains are offset by massive losses in other critical ecosystems. The report emphasizes a severe funding gap, noting that only 2.2 billion USD in annual government funding is allocated to forests, and criticizes the lack of corporate accountability and transparency. It calls for a radical shift away from 'business-as-usual' economic models toward those that value standing forests and support the land rights of indigenous and local communities.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global deforestation remains significantly above the trajectory required to meet 2030 targets, with 6.6 million hectares of gross deforestation in 2022. While some countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have reduced deforestation, overall progress is undermined by insufficient public funding—only $2.2 billion annually—and a lack of corporate and financial accountability. The report emphasizes that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies likely to drive tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical shift in development models, increased transparency, and the direct funding of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to protect high-integrity forests.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with 2022 global gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While over 50 countries are on track to eliminate deforestation, including progress in Indonesia and Malaysia, these successes are offset by massive losses in other regions. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only US$ 2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and criticizes the lack of transparency and failure to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The 2023 assessment of the Forest Declaration reveals that the world is failing to meet 2030 targets to stop deforestation, with 2022 gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some regions like tropical Asia show progress, massive losses continue in Latin America, Africa, and boreal/temperate forests. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only $2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and highlights that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies risking tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development paths and the prioritization of indigenous peoples and local communities as effective forest managers.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to eliminate deforestation by 2030, with global gross deforestation in 2022 reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some countries and regions, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, show progress, these are outweighed by massive losses in Latin America, Africa, North America, and Europe. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that only USD 2.2 billion in annual public funds are channeled to forests, while private financial institutions provided USD 6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies at risk of driving tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development pathways, increased transparency, and direct investment in Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure forest ecosystems.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment argues that a radical transformation of development pathways and finance is necessary to stop forest loss. It calls for a shift from 'business-as-usual' extraction to rights-based governance, urging signatories of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration to increase transparency and data collection. Key recommendations include redirecting 'gray' finance toward 'green' finance, securing land tenure for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and implementing mandatory corporate disclosures to eliminate deforestation from supply chains.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that global finance for forests is severely inadequate, with 'gray' finance (subsidies driving deforestation) vastly outweighing 'green' finance. Public green finance averages USD 2.2 billion annually, less than 1% of estimated needs. Private financial institutions continue to provide trillions in financing to high-risk companies, while the voluntary carbon market faces declining demand and pricing due to integrity concerns. The report highlights a critical funding gap for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who receive only 3% of the finance needed for tenure reform.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that while global protected area coverage is increasing, significant gaps remain in the legal recognition of Indigenous and local community lands, with 1.375 billion hectares still unrecognized. The report highlights a sharp contrast in Brazil, where political leadership under President Lula da Silva led to a 42% drop in Amazon deforestation in early 2022, while other regions face high risks of illegal logging due to corruption. It notes the emergence of demand-side measures like the EU's Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) and a global rise in climate litigation to protect forests. However, environmental defenders remain the most targeted human rights defenders, with 194 killings recorded in 2022.

The report establishes a monitoring tool for forest legality and governance in the Congo Basin, based on Chatham House methodology. It defines 50 indicators categorized into forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest financing, and forest governance. Additionally, it provides a comparative matrix of the legal frameworks, dedicated agencies, and development policies of Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, specifically addressing drivers of deforestation such as commercial agriculture, extractive industries, and small-scale farming.

The Forest Declaration Assessment provides a structured monitoring tool for the Congo Basin, utilizing 50 indicators across four themes: forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest finance, and forest governance. The framework evaluates the quality and implementation of policies adopted by public and private stakeholders. Additionally, the document provides a detailed comparative annex of the existing forest laws, coordinating entities, and strategic policies in Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo.

The 2022 Regional Assessment for the Congo Basin reveals that while deforestation rates have historically been low, there was a 4.9% increase in forest loss in 2021 compared to the 2018-2020 period. Only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently on track to meet the 10% annual reduction in forest cover loss required to reach the 2030 goal of zero deforestation. The report identifies subsistence agriculture as the primary driver of deforestation, while industrial mining, logging, and commercial agriculture pose the greatest risks to core intact forests. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and community forest laws in several countries, implementation is hindered by weak governance, lack of tenure security for indigenous peoples and local communities, and contradictory sectoral laws. Financial commitments, including USD 1.5 billion pledged by international donors between 2021 and 2025, are deemed insufficient to meet the region's needs, with the land sector needs of Cameroon and the DRC alone estimated at US$29.8 billion for 2020-30.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment for the Congo Basin reports a rise in deforestation in 2021, with 636,000 hectares lost, meaning only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently aligned with the trajectory to end deforestation by 2030. While the region is a critical carbon sink, absorbing 0.61 Gt CO2eq annually, it faces threats from small-scale agriculture, industrial mining, and weak land tenure security. Despite international pledges of 1.5 billion USD (2021-2025) and national legal frameworks, the report highlights significant gaps in law enforcement, intersectoral policy alignment, and funding for indigenous peoples and local communities.