A Call to Global Leaders: Turn Forest Commitment into Action

As world leaders, negotiators, Indigenous peoples, civil society, and other stakeholders gather for the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17 and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s COP31, one thing is clear: forests must be restored to the center of global climate and biodiversity action. The world’s forests are too important to fail. Renewed leadership and commitment are urgently needed to reignite momentum toward conserving and restoring these critical assets.  

Value of forests 

The science on this point is clear. The UNEP 2026 “Limiting Overshoot” report underscores the urgency of climate action. We will surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius of global temperature rise. Our challenge now is to limit this overshoot and return to a 1.5 degree pathway as quickly as possible. A forthcoming peer-reviewed publication (Cui. Ryna, et al; pre-print) indicates that halting deforestation and degradation is one of the fastest ways to limit global temperature rise. Studies have shown that these actions, combined with ecosystem restoration, could provide up to 1/3 of potential mitigation by 2030.  

But the importance of forests extends beyond climate. Globally, forests are home to 80 percent of amphibian species, 75 percent of bird species, 68 percent of mammal species, and 60,000 different tree species – representing much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Forests also produce the oxygen we breathe, increase water quality, regulate water cycles, support soil formation, create the conditions necessary for the rainfall that waters croplands, and recycle nutrients needed for agricultural protection. And healthy forests increase the resilience of communities, and economies, to changing weather conditions and extreme events.  

For Audubon, the importance of forests has long been clear. Forests are amongst the most important bird habitat throughout the Americas. Audubon science shows that more than 75 percent of threatened forest bird species in Latin America are vulnerable to extinction if global warming surpasses the temperature goal established by the Paris Agreement. At the same time, this research shows how forests can serve as climate strongholds for birds under a changing climate, even as they help mitigate climate change by sequestering and storing carbon and increase resilience for ecosystems, communities and economies.  

The value of forests goes far beyond the environment. Forests are key engines of economies. Worldwide, more than one billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. Forests generate tens of billions of dollars each year in timber, other forest products, tourism revenue, payments for carbon and ecosystem services, and more.  

Each year, this includes forest carbon revenues currently accounting for more than $473 million, at least $1.73 billion for forest bioeconomy-related products, and certified forest products worth more than $2.3 billion. Because an investment in conserving and restoring forests generates multiple benefits, each dollar invested in halting deforestation is estimated to return 83 times more in saved products and services.  

Commitments yet unfulfilled 

In 2023, all Parties to the Paris Agreement set a 2030 goal through the first Global Stocktake: halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 and restoring ecosystems at scale. This same goal was initially recognized by over 200 entities through the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests, and again at COP26 in 2021 through the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use.  

Yet global attention has shifted from this collective goal towards other global crises, and progress is falling short. While there were some signs of success – annual global deforestation rates were down 15% in 2025 – we are far from ending deforestation by 2030. And this shortcoming has grave implications for the climate, biodiversity, human wellbeing, and economic growth.  

Galvanizing leadership 

Fortunately, it is not too late to accelerate our progress towards conserving and restoring the world’s forests. Many of the elements are in place. The Forests & Climate Leaders’ Partnership brings together over 40 governments to accelerate action on forests. The Tropical Forests Forever Facility is an innovative new financing mechanism recognizing success in forest conservation, and complementing carbon market opportunities like the LEAF Coalition, the International Civil Aviation Organizations CORSIA, and Article 6 under the Paris Agreement.  

Indigenous people continue to lead the way on forest conservation, including through innovative governance and financing approaches. And the real economic value of well-managed forests continues to grow (see above). The forthcoming Forests Roadmap will bring together a range of tools in one key reference document.  

What is needed now is to restore global momentum, renew commitment by leaders and society alike to actually end deforestation, and greatly scale up action and investment. COP17 and COP31 provide first opportunities for heads of state, CEOs, and leaders across society to renew their focus on forests and begin to accelerate action. And 2027 will provide a series of opportunities to catalyze political will and accelerate the global momentum for forests.  We ask leaders across government, civil society, Indigenous people organizations, finance, insurance, agribusiness, multilateral institutions and more to come to the table ready to take the steps needed to meet the 2030 forest goal. And we call on all of you to join the movement. #forestsforward