Forests are the beating heart of our planet – home to the richest biodiversity on Earth and the lifeblood of countless Indigenous and forest-dependent communities. Yet the decisions governments make – on finance, land use and climate policy – can either protect forests or push them closer to collapse.

Here are five ways those choices are threatening our forests and the people who depend on them.

1. Carbon grabs: the new land grabs

As climate finance expands, a new form of exploitation is taking root. The president of the African Development Bank recently warned that foreign companies are undervaluing Africa’s forests, paying “derisory prices” for their .

In Bolivia, a $1.2 billion carbon securities deal meant to protect forests has sparked alarm. Indigenous groups and environmental experts fear it will enable greenwashing without ensuring long-term protection or .

Agricultural expansion, like palm oil plantations, drives 90 percent of deforestation worldwide

2. Deregulating and defunding

The Trump administration's order to open nearly 60% of U.S. national forests to logging to boost timber production by 25% was a seismic shift in . Environmental regulations were slashed, putting both biodiversity and climate stability at risk.

Simultaneously, budget cuts to the U.S. Forest Service have weakened wildfire prevention efforts, halting prescribed burns and .

3. The world’s largest deforestation project

Indonesia’s ambitious plan to clear forest land equivalent to the size of Belgium for bioethanol and food production could become the globally. Despite official promises of sustainability, expert investigations and satellite data reveal widespread environmental destruction and limited gains for local communities.

An ITF restoration project, bringing Dundori forest back to life

4. Imported deforestation

With UK government delays in enacting deforestation regulations, imports of high-risk commodities like soy and palm oil continue to drive forest destruction abroad. This highlights the urgent need for binding laws to protect ecosystems, uphold rights and deliver on . 

5. Undermining nature-based solutions

At the 2025 IETA European Climate Summit, experts warned that nature-based solutions (NBS) risk being side-lined by growing enthusiasm for engineered removals such as direct .

Yet forests offer immediate, scalable, and cost-effective mitigation. Without stronger government backing and financing for NBS, we risk choosing unproven techno-fixes over proven solutions. And putting blind faith in technofixes reduces the urgency to change from business as usual carbon emissions.

 
What happens in forests has ripple effects that fan across the planet. From the Amazon Basin to the US, from Africa to Indonesia, short-term policies are fuelling long-term catastrophe.

We need bold leadership, binding laws and global solidarity to ensure that forests, and the communities who protect them, thrive for generations to come.

Join long-term restoration

Community led restoration ensures forests are protected and trees grow for generations, creating enduring change for people and planet. Join the fight against short-termism today.

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