Progress not enough to meet Global Forest Goals: UN report

United Nations, May 12 The world is not moving fast enough to meet the Global Forest Goals by 2030, according to a United Nations report released.

The Global Forest Goals Report 2026 found that only seven of the 26 targets have been broadly achieved, while 17 are partially on track and two remain off target.

Drawing on voluntary national reports from 48 countries that account for 51 per cent of global forest coverage, along with the latest international data, the report offers the most current assessment of progress under the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017-2030 and its six Global Forest Goals.

The report noted that global forest area shrank by more than 40 million hectares between 2015 and 2025. It also highlighted a major shortfall in financing for sustainable forest management.

Despite these setbacks, many countries have introduced policy reforms, expanded forest restoration programs, strengthened governance and increased international cooperation on forest protection.

Progress, however, remains uneven across regions. The report cited improvements in protected forest areas, long-term management planning and forest monitoring systems, but warned that deforestation, climate change, wildfires, pests and illegal activities continue to threaten forests worldwide.

The report outlines pathways for accelerating action, including halting deforestation, restoring degraded lands, expanding protected and sustainably managed forests, strengthening forest-related governance, closing the financing gap for sustainable forest management and advancing innovative financing mechanisms.

The report was released at the opening of the 21st session of the UN Forum on Forests at UN Headquarters, where member states and partners are gathering to advance implementation of the Global Forest Goals, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Global Forest Goals are six voluntary and universal targets within the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 designed to halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and promote sustainable management. Aimed at 2030, they support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and seek to increase global forest area by 3 per cent—roughly 120 million hectares.

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