10 biggest changes of the decade for forests

(Eco Business, 20 Jan 2020) Forests have changed dramatically since 2010, and so have global policies, technology and environmental leadership governing them. In this new blog from World Resources Institute’s experts, they reflect on the major turning points that have happened for forests, and project the trends forward to the next decade and beyond.

The last decade was pivotal for the world’s forests. The 2010s saw the rise of unprecedented new commitments — from governments and the private sector alike — to bring deforestation to heel. The UN REDD+ framework, the New York Declaration on Forests and the Sustainable Development Goals set out ambitious targets to conserve and restore millions of hectares of forests. 

But as this decade ends and a new one begins, it is also clear the world has fallen short on achieving its forest goals. While the impacts of climate change are being felt around the world, forests — an invaluable climate mitigation tool — are still being lost at high rates. Leaders in key countries are back-tracking on forest protection.   

All of this has shaped the forest landscape today and will propel the world into an uncertain new era. Here, WRI’s forest experts reflect on 10 major changes for forests from the last decade, and what we should expect in 2020 and beyond. 

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Eco Business, 20 Jan 2020: 10 biggest changes of the decade for forests