Since 2002, more than 60 million hectares of primary forest have been lost in the tropics, equivalent to an area the size of France. In 2021 alone, the tropics lost 11.1 million hectares of tree cover. Of this, 3.75 million hectares was tropical primary rainforests, equivalent to a rate of 10 football pitches a minute. The loss resulted in 2.5 Gt of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the annual fossil fuel emissions of India.
If we don’t halt deforestation by 2030 at the very latest, with significant reductions by 2025, we will not limit global warming to 1.5°C and we risk catastrophic climate and ecosystem disruptions that would aggravate hunger and conflict worldwide.
However, there are emerging collective efforts from governments, industry, civil society and communities that could protect and restore forests at the global scale needed.
The Tropical Forest Alliance, hosted by the World Economic Forum, is a leading partnership platform that brings together partners around the common goal of implementing solutions to tackle deforestation linked to the production of agricultural commodities. The Alliance includes more than 180 partners representing the private sector, government, civil society organizations, indigenous peoples groups and multilateral organizations who are committed to ensuring the sustainable production of palm oil, soy, beef, cocoa and pulp and paper. TFA fosters cross-sector collaboration and involves working across Latin America, Africa, China, and Southeast Asia.
Areas where TFA is accelerating collective action include:
TFA is funded by the governments of Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, plus the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Cargill. TFA is hosted at the World Economic Forum.
You can learn more about TFA at www.tropicalforestalliance.org.
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