Posted on May, 23 2025

By Fran Price, Lead, WWF Forest Practice

The latest Global Forest Watch data tells a grim but familiar story: the world is failing forests. Despite the vital role of forests for climate stability, biodiversity, and livelihoods, forest loss is accelerating. In 2024, tropical regions lost a record 6.7 million hectares of primary rainforest, an 80% increase over the previous year. This resulted in greenhouse gas emissions roughly equivalent to emissions from India’s fossil fuel use. Much of this loss was driven by fires, which, in the tropics, are often started to clear land for agriculture.    

Forests are critical to our economies: after oceans, they are the largest carbon sinks and over 1 billion people worldwide depend on forests for their livelihoods. Yet, as the new report shows, current efforts are falling short in safeguarding these vital natural assets. This is deeply concerning and if this trend continues, vital forests like the Amazon will reach an irreversible tipping point that could change the face of the planet. It would also make it impossible to limit global warming to 1.5°C.  

We cannot afford more inaction. 2025 provides critical opportunities to address deforestation.  

Agricultural expansion drives almost 90% of global deforestation; tropical forests especially are under high pressure from agricultural activities. Companies must stop sourcing commodities tied to forest destruction and commit to proper traceability and verification. 2025 is the year by which many companies pledged to ensure that their supply chains don’t contribute to the destruction or degradation of forests, in line with the Accountability Framework. We urge these companies – and others – to step up action on deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains.   

The COP30 climate conference, which will take place in the Brazilian Amazon later this year, will be an important platform for world leaders. We need to see progress on promises made by governments, which should include ambitious and clear forest targets in NDCs and robust plans and policies to deliver them. Collective action is paramount – WWF is calling for the establishment of an actionable framework under the UNFCCC for zero deforestation, integrating food production, commodity supply chains, and Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ rights. And a cover text or other prominent decision text committing world leaders to halt and reverse deforestation and ecosystem conversion by 2030.  

It is also time to think strategically about how to increase finance for forests and reward countries for keeping forests standing. The Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF), led by the government of Brazil, is one such solution, offering long-term and predictable funding to tropical forest countries while directly supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities who are often the best stewards of these ecosystems. It addresses many of the obstacles countries face in trying to access climate and nature finance and by providing a financial return for investors and a long-term dividend for tropical forest countries, it offers a win-win for all participating countries.  

Forest loss at this scale isn’t just an environmental issue – it’s a planetary emergency. Every tree lost deepens the climate crisis, affects biodiversity, and jeopardizes human well-being. This moment demands more than concern. It demands bold, coordinated action – now.