FOREST DECLARATIONASSESSMENT2025 Tracking progress on 2030 forest goals ABOUT THE FOREST DECLARATION ASSESSMENT The Forest Declaration Assessment is an independent, collaborative initiative led by acoalition of civil society organizations and researchers, known as the Forest DeclarationAssessment Partners. Since 2015, the Assessment has published annual updates onprogress toward global forest goals. All findings undergo a rigorous peer review processconducted by experts across the globe. CITATION Forest Declaration Assessment Partners. (2025). Forest DeclarationAssessment 2025. Climate Focus (coordinator and editor). Accessible atwww.forestdeclaration.org. We are also grateful to the numerous other individuals and organizations who provided theirtime and expertise, in many ways, to the development and improvement of this work: AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS Coordinating authors:Erin D. Matson, Franziska Haupt, Anna Rynearson, and JillianGladstone (Climate Focus, CF) James Bampton, Kumar Bhattacharyya, Emma Bukera, Neil Dawson, John Dodsworth,Cristina Eghenter, Monique Ewerton, Kate Findlay, Damian Fleming, Gabriela Flores, ForrestFollett, Wendy Francesconi, Alain Frechette, Taiji Fujisaki, Chloe Ginsburg, Tainah Godoy,Michele Gonzalez-Mendia, Marion Karmann, Caroline Keating, Hermine Kleymann, MoritzKramer, David Kroecker-Maus, Anna Larson, Estelle Levin-Nally, Staffan Lindberg, TraceyLue, Daniel Melling, Szymon Mikolajczyk, Marina Nord, Katie O’Gara, Nathalie Olsen, PaulaPrist, Jasmine Puteri, Tim Rayden, KM Reyes, Niall Robb, Lucia Ruiz, Tomasz Sawicki, TovahSiegel, Daniel Silva, Jean Timmers, Laura Toro, Viera Ukropcova, Merel van der Mark, JessicaVillanueva, Béatrice Wedeux, and Tanya Wyatt CHAPTER 1: OVERARCHING FOREST GOALS (THEME 1) Authors:Ivan Palmegiani (CF) Contributors:Pablo Pacheco Balanza (WWF), Clement Bourgoin (Joint Research Centerof the European Commission), Robin Chazdon (University of Connecticut and Universityof the Sunshine Coast), Susan Cook-Patton (The Nature Conservancy, TNC), David Gibbs(Global Forest Watch, GFW), Hermine Kleymann (WWF), Martin Persson (Chalmers Universityof Technology), Anna Rynearson (CF), and Chandrakant Singh (Chalmers University ofTechnology) CHAPTER 2: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT (THEME 2) DATA PROVIDERS: Authors:Franziska Haupt, Pablo Nuñez, Anna Rynearson, Erin D. Matson, and JillianGladstone (CF) Contributors:Ruth Thomas (WWF) We are grateful for the data providers whose work underscores this report. Data providersinclude BirdLife International, Brazilian Reforestation and Restoration Observatory, CDP,Chalmers University of Technology, Forest Trends, Global Canopy (Forest 500), Global ForestWatch, Global Witness, Joint Research Center of the European Commission, RainforestFoundation Norway, Restor, Varieties of Democracy, ZSL-SPOTT CHAPTER 3: FINANCE FOR FORESTS (THEME 3) Authors:Georg Hahn and Franziska Haupt (CF) Contributors:María José Vargas Benavides (CF), Maria Fernanda Contreras del Valle (WWF),Melaina Dyck (CF), Imogen Long (CF), Anna Rynearson (CF), Torbjørn Gjefsen (RainforestFoundation Norway), Job Harweg (CF), Erin D. Matson (CF), Julia Naime (RainforestFoundation Norway), Paula Pinto Zambrano (Climate and Company), Anand Punja (ForestStewardship Council, FSC), and Louise Simon (Climate and Company) Designby Elisa Perpignan and Pezo KazadiCopy editingby Kelsey YurekMedia relationsprovided by Burness CHAPTER 4: FOREST RIGHTS & GOVERNANCE (THEME 4) This project is supported by the Bezos Earth Fund and the Climate and Land Use Alliance(CLUA) Authors:Melaina Dyck (CF), Lydia Omuko-Jung (CF), Alison Hoare (independent), DanielCordova Pineda (CF), Pablo Nuñez (CF), María José Rodezno Ayestas (CF), Jennifer Skene(Natural Resources Defense Council), and Kerstin Canby (Forest Trends)Contributors:Elisa Scalise (World Resources Institute), Sarah Bouchon (CF), María JoséVargas Benavides (CF), Erin D. Matson (CF), Franziska Haupt (CF), and Anna Rynearson (CF) Chapter contents Introduction Chapter 1.Overarching forest goals7 1. Introduction92. Forest loss143. Degradation234. Restoration of forest ecosystems27Endnotes for Chapter 132 Chapter 2.Sustainable production & development35 1. Introduction372. Government progress413. Company progress474. Collaborative and multistakeholder initiatives progress57Endnotes for Chapter 259 Chapter 3.Finance for forests 1. Introduction662. Scaling up finance for forests693. Mitigating forest-related financial risks774. Redirecting harmful incentives815. Reforming the international financial system and sovereign debt83Endnotes for Chapter 385 Chapter 4.Forest rights and governance 1. Introduction902. Participation in decision-making about forests933. Legal and policy frameworks for equitable and sustainable forestlandscapes994. The just enforcement of forest laws105Endnotes for Chapter 4113 Conclusion121 Introduction “Global forests remain in crisis” is not the headline we hoped to wri