A new report warns that the planet is experiencing an unprecedented forest crisis.
In 2024, forests suffered large-scale destruction with a permanent loss of nearly 8.1 million hectares worldwide.
Thus, halfway to 2030, deforestation rates remain almost unchanged since the beginning of the decade.
Currently, the world is 63% “off track” to achieve the goal of zero deforestation by 2030.
This is indicated by the latest Forest Declaration Assessment conducted by Forest Declaration Assessment.
It emphasizes that without urgent systemic changes in governance, finance, and business action, the 2030 target will be unattainable.
“Failure to meet forest goals will also derail the Paris Agreement, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Sustainable Development Goals“, the report also warns.
The survey is collectively prepared by civil society organizations and researchers known as the Forest Declaration Assessment Partners.
“Global forests remain in crisis”, warns the document published in October 2025.
Forest crisis: alarming figures
In 2024 alone, primary tropical forests suffered devastating losses of 6.73 million hectares.
This destruction released 3,100 million metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
In particular, key areas for forest biodiversity lost 2.2 million hectares in 2024, a 47% increase from the previous year.
“Every year we fail to make progress, the gap between reality and the 2030 goals widens,” warns the document.
As of October 2025, forest degradation thus reaches 8.8 million hectares of humid tropical forests, more than double the level compatible with the 2030 goals.
Agriculture and mining drive the forest crisis
The worst enemy of forests today is permanent agriculture.
This activity accounts for 86% of global deforestation in the last decade.
Meanwhile, mining exerts increasing pressure on forest ecosystems, threatening increasingly extensive regions.
According to the study, the Amazon basin was especially affected by degradation caused by fires linked to anthropogenic climate change.
“Deforestation represents a systemic problem”, states the report on the production and trade of commodities.
The analysis data is based on forest cover information from Hansen et al. (2013, updated to 2024).
Corporate commitments are insufficient to protect forests
Another problem is the insufficient corporate commitments.
Today, only 3% of companies evaluated by Forest 500 meet the criteria for strong commitments against deforestation.
34% of these corporations have not made any public commitment on deforestation.
In 2024, these 500 large companies met on average only 16.2% of the criteria to implement zero deforestation commitments.
Thus, 63% of companies show deficiencies in the ambition or implementation of their environmental commitments.
Mining companies show particular weakness in adopting policies to protect forests and biodiversity.
“Voluntary corporate measures have not halted large-scale forest loss“, concludes the assessment.
Forest crisis: the problem of financing
The survey also analyzes international public forest financing: between 2022 and 2024, this reached 5.7 billion dollars.
This figure represents only 1.4% of the 409 billion dollars allocated annually to agricultural subsidies harmful to the environment.
Meanwhile, financing for tenure rights of indigenous peoples and local communities was 728 million dollars annually between 2021 and 2024.
This amount is far below the target of 10 billion dollars requested by civil society organizations.
Private financing continues to flow into sectors that endanger forests, with limited safeguards.
Finally, voluntary carbon markets mobilized 342 million dollars in 2024, insufficient for real needs.
Forest crisis: its illegal enemies
Estimates indicate that between 61% and 94% of tropical deforestation for agriculture is illegal.
Environmental crimes linked to forests generate up to 281 billion dollars annually.
These activities are linked to organized crime and large-scale corruption.
According to the study, only 40% of the financial institutions most exposed to deforestation risk have policies to address it.
Thus, decision-making on forests continues to be biased towards powerful interests.
This limits the participation of indigenous peoples, local communities, and women in forest management.
In 2024, at least 41 countries repressed civil society organizations more frequently than in 2014.
Another relevant fact is that although the protected land area reached 17.5% of the planet in 2024, only 4% is managed by indigenous peoples and local communities.
Some signs of hope and regeneration
Between 2015 and 2021, tropical forests that naturally regenerate expanded by more than 11 million hectares.
For example, natural regeneration rates multiplied by seven in Latin America and by four in Asia.
Currently, active restoration initiatives are underway on 10.6 million hectares of deforested and degraded lands.
Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia have demonstrated that strong internal policy reforms can produce real advances in deforestation reduction.
Finally, the report notes that COP30 represents a crucial opportunity to establish a viable framework.
“The window for significant change is closing rapidly”, warns, however, the official document.
Therefore, governments must ensure that commitments are reflected in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
