Forest goals largely off track as commodity-driven deforestation ‘continues unchecked’

The world is 63% off track to meet its goal to end deforestation by 2030, with forest loss rate almost the same as at the start of the decade and deforestation-free supply chain commitmentd remaining the exception rather than the rule.

This is the conclusion of the Forest Declaration Assessment 2025, which measures collective progress toward the 2030 forest goals, covering deforestation, degradation, restoration, biodiversity, finance, rights, and governance.

“Deforestation rates have scarcely budged since the start of the decade; sustainable supply-chain commitments remain the exception rather than the rule; forest finance is still a fraction of finance putting forests at risk; and governance barriers – from limited access to justice and decision-making for many groups to corruption to insufficient recognition in community land tenure rights – persist,” the report’s authors write.

Nearly 8.1 million hectares of forest were lost in 2024, while 8.8 million hectares of tropical moist forests were degraded. Much of the degradation was the result of forest fires: fires in the Amazon alone emitted 791 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent last year – more than an industrialised country like Germany.

The biggest culprit for deforestation in the past decade has been agriculture, making up 87% of deforestation, but mining is causing increasing pressure.

Voluntary corporate commitments are insufficient

While the report highlights voluntary corporate action to stop deforestation as “an important step” it finds that it has not curbed forest loss at scale: only 3% of companies assessed by Forest 500 meet expectations for strong deforestation commitments, while 63% present shortcomings in either ambition or implementation. 

In 2024, these 500 major companies fulfilled, on average, just 16.2% of the criteria for implementing and reporting on zero deforestation commitments, with 34% making no public commitments at all. 

Mining companies disclosing through CDP remain weak in adopting commitments and policies to address forest and biodiversity risks from their operations, while growing ambition in palm oil and timber represent “bright spots”.

Overall, “forest-risk sectors remain composed far more of laggards than leaders”, the report warns. However, it notes that more recent landscape and jurisdictional approaches to forest protection in the agricultural sector show promise.

Finance flows to end deforestation are just a fraction of harmful funding

According to the Forest Declaration Assessment, international public finance for forests rose to an estimated US$5.7 billion in 2022-24, from US$1.7 billion in 2018-20. However, this total represents only 1.4% of the US$409 billion in public finance that goes to environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies every year.

At the same time, private finance continues to flow into forest-risk sectors, with limited safeguards. For instance, only 40% of the financial institutions most exposed to commodity-driven deforestation risk in their investments have a policy to address deforestation.