With fewer than five years left to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations has raised alarm over the pace of global forest loss, warning that current progress remains insufficient to meet internationally agreed forest, climate and biodiversity targets.
The warning came on Monday, May 11, during the launch of The Global Forest Goals Report 2026, a major United Nations assessment tracking global implementation of the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 and its six Global Forest Goals.
The report revealed that more than 40 million hectares of forest area were lost globally between 2015 and 2025, despite increasing recognition of forests as critical assets for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, food security, livelihoods and sustainable economic development.
According to the report, while countries are making progress through policy reforms, forest restoration programmes and stronger governance systems, implementation remains far below the scale and speed required to achieve the Global Forest Goals by 2030.
The assessment is based on voluntary national reports submitted by 48 countries representing approximately 51 per cent of the world’s forest area, alongside the latest global environmental and forestry data.
The United Nations emphasized that forests remain central to achieving the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, global climate objectives and international biodiversity commitments.
Speaking during the launch, Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), said forests are indispensable to global sustainability efforts.
“Forests are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, from climate action and biodiversity conservation to food security and resilient livelihoods,” Sandkjær stated.
She added that investment in forests directly supports climate stability, economic resilience and the well-being of present and future generations.
“Investing in forests is investing in climate stability, resilient economies and the well-being of present and future generations,” she said.
The report paints a mixed picture of global progress toward forest sustainability.
According to the findings:
- Only seven out of 26 forest-related targets are currently on track or broadly achieved;
- 17 targets are only partially achieved; and
- Two critical targets are off track, including reversing forest loss and eliminating extreme poverty among forest-dependent populations.
Despite these challenges, the report acknowledged gains in several areas, including:
- Expansion of protected forest areas;
- Increased adoption of long-term forest management plans;
- Improved forest monitoring and reporting systems; and
- Strengthened international cooperation on forestry governance.
However, the report warned that escalating pressures continue to threaten forests worldwide. These include: Land-use conversion and agricultural expansion; Climate change impacts; Wildfires; Pest infestations; Illegal logging and forest-related crimes; and Weak financing for sustainable forest management initiatives.
The United Nations noted that financing for sustainable forest management remains significantly below global requirements, creating major implementation gaps in restoration and conservation efforts.
The report outlined several pathways for accelerating progress before the 2030 deadline.
Recommended actions include; Halting deforestation, Restoring degraded landscapes and ecosystems, Expanding sustainably managed and protected forests, Strengthening forest governance systems, Closing financing gaps for sustainable forest management, and Deploying innovative financing mechanisms to support implementation.
Juliette Biao, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat at UNDESA, stressed that global recognition of forests alone is no longer enough.
“As 2030 approaches, the challenge is no longer only to recognise the value of forests but to scale implementation at the speed required,” Biao said.
She emphasized that stronger political commitment, financing and coordinated implementation across sectors will determine whether the Global Forest Goals can still be achieved within the remaining timeline.
“Strengthening political commitment, financing and cross-sector coordination will determine whether the Global Forest Goals can be achieved,” she added.
The release of the report coincided with the opening of the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21) at the United Nations Headquarters, where member states, development partners and stakeholders are meeting to strengthen global implementation of the Global Forest Goals.
The forum is expected to focus on accelerating forest restoration, improving sustainable financing frameworks and enhancing international cooperation to combat deforestation and ecosystem degradation globally.
The United Nations reiterated that forests remain among the world’s most critical natural systems for addressing climate change, preserving biodiversity and sustaining millions of livelihoods worldwide.
