Global Forest Loss Is Not Slowing—Demand Real Accountability

Imagine you are a policymaker in 2030, standing at a podium, announcing that the world has met its pledge to halt deforestation. You point to charts showing net loss has fallen. But the reality is that tropical primary forests—the most valuable ecosystems on Earth—are still being cleared at an alarming rate, and fires are now the leading culprit. This is not a hypothetical; it is the trajectory we are on if we don't change course.

The Pledge Is a Paper Tiger

In 2021, leaders of 145 countries pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030 (WRI Global Forest Review: 2023 tree cover loss). Yet by 2024, we saw tropical primary forest loss spike to 6.7 million hectares—nearly double the previous year's total, an area the size of Panama (WRI: Global Forest Loss Shatters Records in 2024). That is not a slowdown; it is a crisis. The Glasgow pledge is a paper tiger, and we need to stop pretending otherwise.

Why Net Numbers Mislead

Yes, net forest loss has fallen from 10.7 million hectares per year in the 1990s to 4.12 million hectares per year in 2015-2025 (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025). But net figures mask a brutal truth: we are losing primary forests—the irreplaceable, carbon-dense, biodiversity-rich forests—while gaining planted forests that are a poor substitute. Naturally regenerating forests have declined by 324 million hectares since 1990 (FAO Newsroom: Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025). Planted forests are useful, but they are not rainforests. When you lose a primary forest, you lose species that exist nowhere else and a carbon store that took centuries to build.

The EUDR Is a Blueprint—But It's Not Enough

Here is the strongest counter-argument: some say trade regulations like the EUDR are too costly, too complex, and burden producers. I say the EUDR is exactly what we need, and we need more of it. The EUDR requires companies to prove that products like cattle, soy, and palm oil are deforestation-free (EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR)). It covers seven commodities and could cut at least 32 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year (EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR)). Yes, it is ambitious. Yes, it will be hard for smallholders to comply. But the alternative—watching Bolivia lose 1.5 million hectares of primary forest in a single year (WRI: Global Forest Loss Shatters Records in 2024)—is unacceptable.

Certification schemes like FSC and PEFC have a role—they cover over 470 million hectares combined (FSC UK Facts and Figures; PEFC Facts and Figures)—but they are voluntary. The EUDR is mandatory. It sets a precedent that we need to replicate globally. We need similar laws in the US, China, and India, not just the EU.

Policy Must Target Fire and Agriculture

Look at the data: in 2024, fires overtook agriculture as the leading cause of tropical primary forest loss for the first time on record, accounting for nearly 50% of the loss (WRI: Global Forest Loss Shatters Records in 2024). That is a game-changer. We cannot just focus on illegal logging; we must address the drivers of fire—drought, land clearing, and climate change. We also need to support countries like Indonesia, which managed to cut primary forest loss by 11% in 2024 (WRI: Global Forest Loss Shatters Records in 2024). That shows progress is possible.

But we cannot rely on voluntary efforts. Only 20% of forests are in legally protected areas (FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025), and even those are not safe from fire. We need to expand protected areas, but we also need to manage them better, especially in the face of climate change.

What You Can Do

• Demand that your government adopt EUDR-style regulations.
• Support companies that source certified sustainable products.
• Advocate for increased funding for forest restoration, like the Bonn Challenge, which has already mobilized pledges for over 210 million hectares (IUCN Bonn Challenge press release).

Sources

• FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 - https://www.un-redd.org/post/global-deforestation-slows-forests-remain-under-pressure-fao-report-shows
• WRI Global Forest Review: 2023 tree cover loss - https://gfr.wri.org/global-tree-cover-loss-data-2023
• WRI: Global Forest Loss Shatters Records in 2024 - https://www.wri.org/news/release-global-forest-loss-shatters-records-2024-fueled-massive-fires
• EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) - https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/forests/deforestation/regulation-deforestation-free-products_en
• IUCN Bonn Challenge press release - https://iucn.org/press-release/202511/germany-and-iucn-celebrate-15-years-bonn-challenge-worlds-largest-restoration