n 2023, global forest destruction worsened, surpassing levels seen when 140 countries pledged to halt deforestation by 2030 at the UN Cop26 summit, according to a recent analysis.
This rise in forest loss makes it harder to combat the climate crisis and prevent massive wildlife declines, warn researchers.
The report reveals that nearly 6.4 million hectares (16 million acres) of forest were destroyed last year, with an additional 62.6 million hectares degraded by road construction, logging, and wildfires.
Deforestation surged in countries like Indonesia and Bolivia, spurred by political shifts and continued demand for commodities such as beef, soy, palm oil, paper, and nickel from wealthy nations.
Researchers noted that voluntary measures to curb deforestation have proven insufficient. They argue that strong regulations and increased funding for forest protection are essential.
A positive exception was observed in Brazil, where deforestation in the Amazon dropped by 62% in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s first year in office.
“The bottom line is that, globally, deforestation has gotten worse, not better, since the beginning of the decade,” said Ivan Palmegiani, a consultant at the research group Climate Focus and lead author of the report.
“We’re only six years away from a critical global deadline to end deforestation, and forests continue to be chopped down, degraded, and set ablaze at alarming rates,” he said. “Righting the course is possible if all countries make it a priority, and especially if industrialised countries seriously reconsider their excessive consumption levels and support forest countries.”
Erin D Matson, a senior consultant at Climate Focus and co-author of the report, said: “When the right conditions are in place, countries see major progress. The next year, if economic or political conditions change, forest loss can come roaring back. We’re seeing this effect in the spiking deforestation in Indonesia and Bolivia. Ultimately, to meet global forest protection targets, we must make forest protection immune to political and economic whims.”
Other countries showing progress towards the 2030 zero deforestation target included Australia, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
The 2024 forest declaration assessment, developed by a coalition of research and civil society groups, compared 2023 deforestation rates against a baseline average from 2018-2020. It found that current rates are almost 50% above what would be needed to meet the 2030 goal.
Matson said: “Indonesia’s deforestation alone spiked by 57% in one year. This was in large part attributable to surging global demand for things like paper and mined metals like nickel.
“But it’s also clear that the Indonesian government took its foot off the gas. It experienced the steepest drop in deforestation of any tropical country from 2015-17 and 2020-22, so we have to hope that this setback is only temporary.” In 2023, Indonesia produced half the world’s nickel, a metal used in many green technologies.
“Brazil gives us an example of positive progress [in the Amazon] but deforestation in the Cerrado [tropical savanna] increased 68% year over year,” she said.
The report highlights that climate-driven forest fires have also exacerbated forest loss, with about 45 million hectares burning over the past five years.
In addition to regulatory measures, the report calls for bolstered funding for forest conservation, strengthening Indigenous land rights, and reducing demand for deforestation-linked commodities. Efforts outside the tropics are also crucial, as North and Latin American temperate forests faced some of the highest levels of forest loss.
The EU has introduced regulations to ban sales of products tied to deforestation, covering items like coffee, chocolate, leather, and furniture. However, on October 3, the European Commission proposed a one-year delay to the rule’s implementation after objections from countries like Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Ivory Coast, citing the need for a phased rollout.
Matson said: “This pushback is largely driven by political pressures, and it’s a shame. We can’t rely on voluntary efforts – they have made very little progress over the last decade.”
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