In 2022, the Forest Declaration Assessment included a regional pilot in the Congo Basin. Nine civil society organizations participated in this regional assessment, providing expertise, collecting data and contributing to the first regional Forest Declaration Assessment report that will be published in November 2022. This interview series highlights the work of these regional partners. Today's featured partner is Essono Ondo Cabinet for Social and Environmental Affairs (CEO-SE), represented by executive director Protet Judicaël Essono Ondo.

Could you describe the work of Essono Ondo Cabinet for Social and Environmental Affairs (CEO-SE)? 

The CEO-SE, whose mission is to support the strengthening of collaborations among stakeholders for the development of environmentally sound social and economic initiatives, is a consulting firm that provides analysis, research, policy development, project/program planning and implementation services to support the priorities and decision-making of clients and partners, with a particular focus on "community-based" actions and initiatives. In particular, the firm provides services related to monitoring and evaluation, grant program design and management support, social development, governance, and private sector collaboration development services. 

How does your work drive progress toward ending deforestation and restoring degraded lands by 2030? 

The CEO-SE works with government administrations, technical and financial partners in Gabon, international financial and technical institutions, the private sector, civil society, and grassroots communities to push for improved forest governance and to support the involvement of all these stakeholders in the various deliberative frameworks. Through advisory support initiatives, especially to CSOs and local and Indigenous communities, we participate in sensitization and capacity building of these actors on issues related to forest management, including deforestation and forest landscape restoration. 

What do you believe is the biggest challenge for addressing deforestation and forest degradation in the Congo Basin? 

The greatest challenge lies in the mechanisms put in place to bring the different actors to respect the texts in force, and to operationalize the different existing legislative texts that frame these forestry issues through the adoption of application texts. This requires an improvement in the general governance of the sector through the promotion of transparency and accountability tools. State commitments are not enough if there is no real involvement of stakeholders on the ground. 

What was your experience working with the Forest Declaration Regional Assessment this year and what future collaboration opportunities do you see to reach 2030 forest goals? 

It was a very enriching experience not only because we were among the precursors to participate in this first initiative of the Forest Declaration Assessment in the Congo Basin, but also because this exercise is a first experience that opens a wide range of opportunities for the actors of the sector, based on key messages, which we hope will strengthen the fight against deforestation in Gabon specifically and the Congo Basin in general. 

What are your 3 messages to world leaders attending COP27? 

The first key message to be communicated to governments before COP27 would be the one related to the "harmonization" of the definition of the forest in the Congo Basin. We believe that in order to have a common vision of the challenges of deforestation in the sub-region, the Congo Basin countries should also agree on a common definition of the forest. The Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) and the Economic Community of Central African States should play a key role in harmonizing the definition of the forest.  

In addition, the other messages to be communicated are messages with measures supporting the populations in the framework of sustainable forest management and participating in the reinforcement of the consideration of gender, including young girls and boys and peasant leaders, in all programs and projects in the framework of sustainable forest management.  

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Pourriez-vous décrire le travail du Cabinet Essono Ondo pour le Social et l’Environnement ? 

Le Cabinet Essono Ondo pour le Social et l’Environnement (CEO-SE) dont la mission est de soutenir le renforcement des collaborations entre les parties prenantes pour le développement des initiatives sociales et économiques respectueuses de l’environnement, est un cabinet d’appui-conseil qui offre des services d’analyse, de recherche, d’élaboration de politiques, de planification et de mise en œuvre des projets/programmes pour soutenir les priorités et la prise de décision des clients et partenaires, avec une attention particulière pour les actions et initiatives «communautaires». Le Cabinet fournit particulièrement des services liés au suivi, à l’évaluation, à l’appui, à la conception et à la gestion des programmes de subventions, au développement social, à la gouvernance et au développement de la collaboration avec le secteur privé. 

Comment votre travail contribue-t-il à l’atteinte des objectifs de réduction de la déforestation et de la restauration des paysages forestiers ? 

Le CEO-SE travaille avec les administrations gouvernementales, les partenaires techniques et financiers au Gabon, les institutions financières et techniques internationales, le secteur privé, la société civile et les communautés afin de participer à l’amélioration de la gouvernance forestières et appuyer l’implication de toutes ces parties prenantes dans les différents cadres de délibération. Au travers des initiatives d’appui-conseil — plus particulièrement aux organisations de la société civile (OSCs) et aux communautés locales et autochtones —, nous participons à la sensibilisation et au renforcement des capacités de ces acteurs sur les enjeux en lien avec la gestion forestière, dont les questions de déforestation et de restauration des paysages forestiers. 

Quel est selon vous le plus grand défi pour lutter contre la déforestation et la dégradation des paysages forestiers dans le Bassin du Congo ?  

Le plus grand défi est d’emmener les différents acteurs du secteur forestier au respect des textes en vigueur, et aussi de s’assurer de l’opérationnalisation des différents textes législatifs existant qui encadrent les problématiques forestières. Et, ceci passe par une amélioration de la gouvernance générale du secteur avec la promotion des outils de transparence et de reddition des comptes. Les engagements des États ne suffisent pas s’il n’y a pas une véritable implication des parties prenantes sur le terrain. 

Quelle a été votre expérience au sein du Forest Declaration Assessment cette année et quelles opportunités de collaboration futures voyez-vous pour atteindre les objectifs forestiers 2030 ? 

L’expérience a été très enrichissante non seulement du fait d’être parmi les précurseurs à participer à cette première initiative du Forest Declaration Assessment dans le Bassin du Congo, mais surtout du fait que cet exercice est une première expérience qui ouvre une large gamme d’opportunités pour les acteurs du secteur, sur la base des messages clés. Et nous espérons que lesdits messages clés contribueront au renforcement de la lutte contre la déforestation au Gabon en particulier et dans le Bassin du Congo en général. 

Quels sont vos 3 messages aux dirigeants participant à la COP27 ? 

Le premier message clé à communiquer aux gouvernements avant la COP27 d’après nous serait celui en lien avec « l’harmonisation » de la définition de la forêt dans le Bassin du Congo. Nous pensons en effet que pour avoir une vision commune des enjeux de la déforestation dans la sous-région, il est impératif pour les pays du Bassin du Congo s’accordent sur une définition commune de la forêt. La Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) ainsi que la Commission Économique des États de l’Afrique Centrale (CEEAC) devraient jouer un rôle primordial autour de l’atteinte de cet objectif d’harmonisation de la définition de la forêt. 

Par ailleurs, les autres messages à communiquer sont ceux qui présentent des mesures d’accompagnement des populations dans le cadre de la gestion durable des forêts, et ceux qui participent au renforcement de la prise en compte du genre, des jeunes filles et garçons, des leaders paysans dans tous les programmes et projets, dans le cadre de la gestion durable des forêts. 

Geospatial Technology Group Ltd. (GTG Ltd.) provides technical services to facilitates the surveying, mapping, management, monitoring and control exploitation of forest resources. 

Could you describe the work of the Geospatial Technology Group Ltd.? 

Since 2007, GTG Ltd has been collaborating with forest resources stakeholders in the Republic of Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and most recently in Gabon.  

Forest resources have been surveyed and mapped facilitating forest investment decision-making by economic operators, exploitation planning by forest managers, as well as elaborating forest management plans to promote sustainable forest management to help reduce deforestation. 

How does your work drive progress toward ending deforestation and restoring degraded lands by 2030? 

Sustainable forest management is key to reducing forest degradation and deforestation. By technically assisting forest resources surveying and mapping, ecologically sound, economically profitable, and socially acceptable forest management plans are elaborated.   

By regularly monitoring and controlling the implementation of these plans through the provision of technical services, Geospatial Technology Group facilitates sustainable forest management thereby reducing forest degradation and deforestation.   

What do you believe is the biggest challenge for addressing deforestation and forest degradation in the Congo Basin? 

Monitoring and controlling actions of all stakeholders in the domain of forestry, agriculture, mining, infrastructure development, etc. Well elaborated policies, laws and regulations already exist and, recently, the various national REDD+ Investment Plans Strategies and Nationally Determined Contributions developed for each Congo Basin country clearly identified the missing links in the implementation of these policies.   

Attention should be focused on the regular monitoring and controlling of all actions taken within the framework of the implementation of all forest linked projects. 

What was your experience working with the Forest Declaration Regional Assessment this year and what future collaboration opportunities do you see to reach 2030 forest goals? 

With more than 20 years of experience providing technical assistance to forest stakeholders in the Congo basin; starting first with DFID/GIZ funded projects in SW Cameroon, through WRI’s Global Forest Watch Congo Basin initiatives to working with Geospatial Technology Group, my participation in the Forest Declaration Assessment broadened my understanding of the challenges faced by Congo Basin countries in their attempts at reconciling economic development and forest protection.   

While researching material to complete the assessment grid elaborated by Climate Focus, I was able to identify some of the missing links between the highly acclaimed policies, laws, regulations, and the actual ground realities. 

What are your 3 messages to world leaders attending COP27? 

1. The need to regularly monitor the forest objectives of the Congo Basin countries, by assessing their implementation strategies, monitoring devices, means, and results. Also,the need to strengthen the gender mainstreaming, including of young girls and boys, of community leaders, in all sustainable forest management programs and projects. 

2. The need for international financial flows within the framework of green finance to be truly committed and increasing continuously, in line with the commitments, in order to facilitate the expected transition to a low-carbon economy by the Congo Basin countries. 

3. The need to continuously keep countries of the Congo basin informed that logging, forest conversion, and illegal encroachments are not only widespread, but are also on the rise, further threatening the largest still intact tropical forest landscape in the world.

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Pourriez-vous décrire le travail de Geospatial Technology Group Ltd (GTG Ltd) ? 

Depuis 2007, GTG Ltd collabore avec les parties prenantes des ressources forestières en République du Cameroun, en République du Congo, en République Centrafricaine, en République démocratique du Congo et depuis peu au Gabon.  

Les ressources forestières ont été étudiées et cartographiées, ce qui facilite la prise de décision des opérateurs économiques en matière d'investissement forestier, la planification de l'exploitation par les gestionnaires forestiers ainsi que l'élaboration de plans de gestion forestière visant à promouvoir la gestion durable des forêts afin de réduire la déforestation. 

Comment votre travail contribue-t-il à l’atteinte des objectifs de réduction de la déforestation et de la restauration des paysages forestiers ? 

La gestion durable des forêts est essentielle pour réduire la dégradation des forêts et la déforestation. En apportant une assistance technique à l'étude et à la cartographie des ressources forestières, des plans de gestion forestière écologiquement rationnels, économiquement rentables et socialement acceptables sont élaborés.   

En surveillant et en contrôlant régulièrement la mise en œuvre de ces plans par la fourniture de services techniques, Geospatial Technology Group facilite la gestion durable des forêts et réduit ainsi la dégradation et la déforestation. 

Quel est selon vous le plus grand défi pour lutter contre la déforestation et la dégradation des paysages forestiers dans le bassin du Congo ?  

Le suivi et le contrôle des actions de toutes les parties prenantes dans le domaine de la foresterie, de l'agriculture, des mines, du développement des infrastructures, etc. Des politiques, lois et réglementations bien élaborées existent déjà et récemment, les différents plans d'investissement nationaux REDD+, les stratégies et les contributions déterminées au niveau national développées pour chaque pays du Bassin du Congo ont clairement identifié les chaînons manquants dans la mise en œuvre de ces politiques.   

L'attention doit être portée sur le suivi et le contrôle régulier de toutes les actions prises dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre de tous les projets liés à la forêt. 

Quelle a été votre expérience au sein du Forest Declaration Assessment cette année et quelles opportunités de collaboration futures voyez-vous pour atteindre les objectifs forestiers 2030 ? 

Avec plus de 20 ans d'expérience dans la fourniture d'assistance technique aux parties prenantes du secteur forestier dans le bassin du Congo, en commençant par des projets financés par DFID/GIZ dans le sud-ouest du Cameroun, en passant par les initiatives Global Forest Watch Congo Basin de WRI et en travaillant avec Geospatial Technology Group, ma participation à l'évaluation de la déclaration forestière a élargi ma compréhension des défis auxquels sont confrontés les pays du bassin du Congo dans leurs tentatives de concilier développement économique et protection des forêts.   

En recherchant du matériel pour compléter la grille d'évaluation élaborée par Climate Focus, j'ai pu identifier certains des liens manquants entre les politiques, les lois et les réglementations tant acclamées et les réalités du terrain. 

1. The need to continuously keep countries of the Congo basin informed that logging, forest conversion, and illegal encroachments are not only widespread, but are also on the rise, further threatening the largest still intact tropical forest landscape in the world. 

Quels sont vos 3 messages aux dirigeants participant à la COP27 ? 

1. La nécessité de suivre régulièrement les objectifs forestiers des pays du Bassin du Congo, en évaluant leurs stratégies de mise en œuvre, leurs dispositifs de suivi, leurs moyens et leurs résultats. Et la nécessité de renforcer l'intégration du genre, notamment des jeunes filles et garçons, des leaders communautaires, dans tous les programmes et projets de gestion durable des forêts,  

2. La nécessité que les flux financiers internationaux dans le cadre de la finance verte soient réellement engagés et augmentent continuellement, conformément aux promesses, afin de faciliter la transition attendue des pays du Bassin du Congo vers une économie à faible émission de carbone.  

3. La nécessité de tenir les pays du Bassin du Congo continuellement informés du fait que l'exploitation forestière, la conversion des forêts et les empiètements illégaux sont non seulement répandus, mais aussi en augmentation, menaçant davantage le plus grand paysage forestier tropical encore intact du monde.

The Action for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ACB-ONG) provides services in protected area management, sustainable forest management, and support to forestry companies in the certification of the management of their concessions/forestry units and the traceability of their products, as well as other activities that support sustainable development in the Central Africa sub-region. 

Could you describe the work of the Action for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ACB-ONG)? 

The goal of ACB-ONG is to contribute to the sustainable development of Democratic Republic of Congo and Central Africa region. The main areas of intervention of ACB-ONG are the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable management of natural resources, and the fight against climate change.  

ACB-ONG provides services in protected area management, sustainable forest management, and support to forestry companies in the certification of the management of their concessions/forestry units and the traceability of their products, as well as in projects to fight against climate change.  

We work in agroforestry, community forestry, energy crops, beekeeping, and more. Finally, ACB-ONG works in capacity building and organizational development of local communities and Indigenous peoples. 

How does your work drive progress toward ending deforestation and restoring degraded lands by 2030? 

ACB-ONG is part of the National Coalition to Fight Illegal Logging (CNCEIB) platform in Democratic Republic of Congo. Steps are underway to integrate other civil society platforms in the "forest-environment" sector, such as the Observatory of Forest Governance (OGF) and the Natural Resources Network.   

ACB-ONG develops and implements projects contributing to the reduction of deforestation:   

• Support for the survey for the Citizens' Voices for Change Project: for non-state actor participation in forest governance, FLEGT and REDD+, The Center for International Development and Training (CIDT)/University of Wolverhampton, UK and World Resources Institute (WRI).  
• Reforestation project in the hinterland of the City of Kisangani (seeking funding).   
• Climate change adaptation project for the riparian communities of the Yoko Forest Reserve (under development for submission to the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) under the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA). 

What do you believe is the biggest challenge for addressing deforestation and forest degradation in the Congo Basin? 

As the food challenge becomes more pressing, particularly in some Congo Basin countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, changes in slash-and-burn agriculture are the greatest challenge. The appropriation and practice of sustainable agricultural techniques — improved short fallows, agroforestry, and irrigated and non-rainfed crops — can considerably reduce deforestation in the Congo Basin. The REDD+ mechanism will have to provide the means to address this sector of activity.   

What was your experience working with the Forest Declaration Regional Assessment this year and what future collaboration opportunities do you see to reach 2030 forest goals? 

It was both a challenge and a very rewarding experience. It was a challenge because it was necessary to review the abundant documentation produced both in Democratic Republic of Congo and internationally on the subject and to have interviews on Zoom or Google Meet on subjects that, at first glance, were new to many. Another challenge was to appropriate the matrix or evaluation framework, which I finally appreciated and mastered. This was an enriching experience, because this evaluation exercise reinforced my expertise on the climate issue in Democratic Republic of Congo. I was able to not only discover, but also capture a lot of data and information; allowing a broad panoramic view of the efforts deployed in Democratic Republic of Congo to fight deforestation in terms of financing, policies, legal framework, strategies, organizational and institutional development, and international commitments.   

This assessment exercise can be considered a mid-term evaluation of the forestry commitments of the Congo Basin countries. It is of crucial importance to progress towards the 2030 objective. It provides useful information and lessons learned for the redefinition and adoption of new strategic measures, both internally (at the country level) and externally (at the level of technical and/or financial partners), and will justify the continuation of efforts towards deforestation in an adaptive management mode.  

In terms of opportunities to pursue this collective work, it is notably a matter of:   

• Supporting the appropriation of the results of the assessment by the countries, COMIFAC and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) by disseminating the report and raising awareness among key stakeholders on the issues at stake, the gaps observed and the lessons learned; 

• Amend and strengthen the indicators and evaluation criteria to make them more functional;   
• Strengthen the capacity of local actors who participated in the Forest Declaration Assessment, particularly in the production of primary data at the project or program implementation sites (grassroots observations and interviews);  
• Monitor the development and implementation of corrective actions (see gaps, recommendations and lessons learned) at the country and sub-regional (ECCAS and COMIFAC) levels; and  
• Produce an annual Forest Declaration Assessment report for the Congo Basin. 

What are your 3 messages to world leaders attending COP27? 

1. Strengthen green finance at the state level: States also have the opportunity to improve fiscal processes and put in place plans to redirect existing domestic funding streams to activities dedicated to (or having a positive impact on) forest protection. Tax revenues from various forestry and other activities can be used to support forest conservation activities or support forest-dependent peoples.  

2. Improving forest governance: To ensure law enforcement and reduce illegality in the forest sector, sufficient human, financial and operational capacity is needed, especially in terms of monitoring and control. In general, the capacity to measure, report and control deforestation has improved significantly in most Congo Basin countries, both at the local and national levels. However, it is not clear that this has led to improved forest law enforcement and reduced illegality.   

3. Strengthen the major role of harmonization and coherence of public policies: Despite the efforts made to harmonize public policies, there is a need to strengthen the major role of this harmonization at the level of measures that have a direct or indirect impact on the forest cover. These are "policies affecting forests", and include all sectors of activity that have a significant impact: agriculture, infrastructure, land-use planning, demography, programs promoting land security, etc. A strategy that is restricted to one sector of activity — e.g., agriculture — and not harmonized with other sectors of activity — e.g., construction of farm feeder roads — would produce mixed, temporary, and unsustainable results. 

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Pourriez-vous décrire le travail de l’ONG Action pour la Conservation de la Biodiversité (ACB-ONG) ? 

Le but de ACB-ONG est de contribuer au développement durable de la République Démocratique du Congo et de la sous-région de l’Afrique Centrale. Les principaux axes d’intervention de ACB-ONG sont la conservation de la biodiversité, la gestion durable des ressources naturelles et la lutte contre les changements climatiques. ACB-ONG fournit des services en gestion des aires protégées, en aménagement durable des forêts et en accompagnement des compagnies forestières dans la certification de la gestion de leurs concessions/ unités forestières, de la traçabilité de leurs produits et autres, et ainsi que dans les projets de lutte contre les changements climatiques. Elle œuvre dans l’agroforesterie, la foresterie communautaire, les cultures énergétiques, l’apiculture, etc. Enfin, ACB-ONG opère dans le renforcement des capacités et le développement organisationnel des communautés locales et des peuples autochtones. 

Comment votre travail contribue-t-il à l’atteinte des objectifs de réduction de la déforestation et de la restauration des paysages forestiers ? 

ACB-ONG fait partie de la plateforme Coalition Nationale de Lutte Contre l’Exploitation Illégale de bois (CNCEIB) en République Démocratique du Congo. Des démarches sont en cours pour intégrer d’autres plateformes de la société civile du secteur « forêt-environnement », telles que l’Observatoire de la Gouvernance Forestière (OGF) et le Réseau des Ressources Naturelles.  

ACB-ONG développe et met en œuvre des projets contribuant à la réduction de la déforestation :  

• Appui à la réalisation de l’enquête pour le Projet Voix des Citoyens pour le Changement pour la participation des acteurs non étatiques à la gouvernance forestière, et pour FLEGT et REDD+, le Centre pour le Développement International et la Formation (CDIT) de l’université britannique de Wolverhampton, et de l’Institut Mondial des Ressources (WRI). 
• Projet de reboisement de l’hinterland de la Ville de Kisangani (en quête de financement).  
• Projet d’adaptation au changement climatique des communautés riveraines de la Réserve Forestière de Yoko (en cours d’élaboration pour soumettre à Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) dans le cadre de l’Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA). 

Quel est selon vous le plus grand défi pour lutter contre la déforestation et la dégradation des paysages forestiers dans le Bassin du Congo?  

Alors que le défi alimentaire est de plus en plus pressant, notamment dans certains pays du bassin du Congo comme la République Démocratique du Congo, les changements d’itinéraires techniques dans le cas de l’agriculture sur brûlis, constituent le plus grand défi. L’appropriation et la pratique des techniques agricoles durables (amélioration des jachères courtes, agroforesterie et cultures irriguées et non pluviales) peuvent considérablement réduire la déforestation dans le Bassin du Congo. Le mécanisme REDD+ devra se donner les moyens de s’attaquer à ce secteur d’activité. 

Quelle a été votre expérience au sein du Forest Declaration Assessment cette année et quelles opportunités de collaboration futures voyez-vous pour atteindre les objectifs forestiers 2030? 

Ce fut à la fois un défi et une expérience très enrichissante. Défi parce qu’il fallait faire la revue d’une masse abondante de la documentation produite tant en République Démocratique du Congo que sur le plan international sur le sujet et, avoir des interviews sur zoom ou sur « google meet. » sur des sujets qui, de prime abord étaient nouveaux pour beaucoup. Un autre challenge était de s’approprier la matrice ou cadre d’évaluation, que j’ai finalement apprécie et maitrisé. Une expérience enrichissante, car cet exercice d’évaluation a renforcé mon expertise sur la question climatique en République Démocratique du Congo. J’ai pu ainsi non seulement découvrir mais aussi capter beaucoup de données, d’informations, bref de connaissances permettant une vue panoramique large des efforts déployés en République Démocratique du Congo pour lutter contre la déforestation, en termes des financements, des politiques, du cadre juridique, des stratégies, de développement organisationnel et institutionnel, et des engagements internationaux.  

Cet exercice d’évaluation peut être considéré comme une évaluation à mi-parcours des engagements forestiers des pays du Bassin du Congo. Il revêt une importance cruciale pour progresser vers la réalisation de l’Objectif 2030. Il permet de livrer des renseignements et des leçons apprises utiles pour la redéfinition et l’adoption de nouvelles mesures stratégiques, tant en interne (au niveau des pays) qu’en externe (au niveau des partenaires techniques et/ou financier), et justifiera la poursuite des efforts vers la déforestation, en mode de gestion adaptative.  

En termes d’opportunités pour poursuivre ce travail collectif, il s’agit notamment de/d’ :  

• Appuyer l’appropriation des résultats de l’évaluation par les pays, la Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) et la Communauté Économique des États de l’Afrique Centrale (CEEAC) par la diffusion du rapport et la sensibilisation des principales parties prenantes sur les enjeux, les écarts observés et les leçons apprises ; 
• Amender et renforcer les indicateurs et les critères d’évaluation pour les rendre plus fonctionnels ;  
• Renforcer les capacités des acteurs locaux qui ont participé au Forest Declaration Assessment, notamment pour la production des données primaires à l’échelle des sites d’implémentation des projets ou programmes  (observations et interviews à la base) ; 
• Surveiller le développement et la mise en place des actions correctives (voir les écarts, les recommandations et leçons apprises) au niveau des pays et des instituions sous-régionales (CEEAC et COMIFAC) ; et 
• Produire annuellement un rapport de Forest Declaration Assessment du bassin du Congo. 

Quels sont vos 3 messages aux dirigeants participant à la COP27 ? 

1. Renforcer la finance verte au niveau des États : Les États ont également l’opportunité d’améliorer les processus fiscaux et de mettre en place des plans de réorientation des flux de financements nationaux existants vers des activités consacrées à la protection des forêts (ou ayant pour retombée positive pour la protection des forêts). Les recettes fiscales de diverses activités, forestières ou autres, peuvent être utilisées pour soutenir les activités de conservation des forêts ou de soutien aux peuples tributaires des activités forestières. 

2. Améliorer la gouvernance forestière : Pour garantir l'application des lois et réduire l'illégalité dans le secteur forestier, des capacités humaines, et financières et opérationnelles suffisantes sont nécessaires, notamment en termes de surveillance et de contrôle. De manière générale, la capacité à mesurer, signaler et contrôler la déforestation s’est substantiellement améliorée de manière significative dans la plupart des pays du bassin du Congo, à l’échelle locale comme nationale. Cependant, il n'est pas certain que cela ait permis de faire respecter les lois forestières et de réduire l'illégalité.  

3. Renforcer le rôle majeur de l’harmonisation et de la cohérence des politiques publiques : En dépit des efforts consentis pour l’harmonisation des politiques publiques d’accompagnement, il y a lieu de renforcer le rôle majeur de cette harmonisation au niveau des mesures ayant un impact direct ou indirect sur le couvert forestier. Il s’agit là des « politiques affectant les forêts », et qui incluent tous les secteurs d’activité ayant un impact significatif : agriculture, infrastructures, aménagement du territoire, démographie, programmes favorisant la sécurité foncière, etc. Une stratégie restreinte à un seul secteur d’activité –par exemple l’agriculture – et non harmonisée avec les autres secteurs d’activité – par ex. la construction des routes de desserte agricole – produirait des résultats mitigés, temporaires, et non durables…. 

Tropical Asia, led by Indonesia, is on track, but too many nations lag on meeting Glasgow forest promises 

WASHINGTON DC (October 24, 2022)—Global deforestation decreased modestly by 6.3% in 2021, falling short of international goals of stopping forest loss and degradation by 2030 and limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees C, according to the Forest Declaration Assessment released today. Global gross deforestation amounted to 6.8 million hectares in 2021 — an area comparable in size to the Republic of Ireland — and generated 3.8 GtCO2e of associated GHG emissions.

One year ago, the United Nations (UN) climate change talks (COP26) in Glasgow saw a number of ambitious pledges for forests — notably, 145 governments signed on to the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration aiming to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. But one year on, a lack of transparency on how related pledges are being met — such as reducing forest impacts from international trade and strengthening Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ tenure rights — hinders both accountability and real progress.

The assessment (formerly the New York Declaration on Forests Progress Assessment), conducted by a coalition of civil society and research organizations, provides a dose of reality about the state and fate of these forests: not a single global indicator is on track to meet the 2030 goals of stopping forest loss and degradation and restoring 350 million hectares of forest landscape. Funding to protect and restore forests must increase by 200 times current levels to meet forest goals, and the best managers of forested land — Indigenous Peoples and local communities — remain excluded from decision-making, many financing opportunities and protections that ensure their territorial rights.

"Multiple streams of data show that the world is not on track to achieve our commitments to protect forests. We are quickly moving toward another round of hollow commitments and vanished forests," said David Gibbs, GIS research associate at Global Forest Watch, World Resources Institute.

“The world can’t let 2030 pass like the failed 2020 milestone of the New York Declaration of Forests.” said Franziska Haupt, managing partner at Climate Focus. ”Governments and the private sector must embrace bold reforms to value standing forests in proportion to their worth. And they must work together with civil society to accelerate forest action, supported by transparency and accountability.”

Exceptional progress in some countries shows that the 2030 goals are possible

The Forest Declaration Assessment is an independent, civil society-led initiative to assess progress toward the global goals of halting deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 as set out in international declarations like the New York Declaration on Forests (2014) and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (2021).

Using deforestation data from 2018-2020 to create a baseline, the assessment found that the decrease in global deforestation in 2021 did not match the pace needed to reach the 2030 goal to eliminate deforestation laid out in the Glasgow pledge. There has been exceptional progress by some countries, however. The assessment found that tropical Asia is the only region currently on track to halt deforestation by 2030, based largely on progress in Indonesia (the only country to lower its deforestation rate for each of the past five years) and its neighbor Malaysia. 

In tropical Africa, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire significantly reduced commodity-driven deforestation in 2021, while Uganda and Tanzania reduced deforestation overall. While deforestation rates in tropical Africa and Latin America decreased in recent years, those reductions are still insufficient to meet the 2030 goal.

Where progress has been made, the credit can be shared between government mandates and effective enforcement, bold and collaborative company action, and innovative efforts led by civil society and grassroots initiatives. Scaling up collaborative, mandatory action on forests can and has been effective at turning the tide on deforestation.

Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs) stand at the forefront of protecting and safeguarding forests, in spite of the significant risks they face to do so. Securing their rights and ensuring direct access to finance is one of the most effective climate solutions that must be more widely embraced. Lands managed by IPs and LCs see overall better environmental and social outcomes than when outside organizations are in control of forests. Still, IPs and LCs are not adequately included in policy, and recognition and enforcement of their rights remain weak.

Forest cover increased in places -- but deforestation gains outweigh this progress

While global deforestation has continued apace, forest cover also increased by roughly 130.9 million hectares from 2000 to 2020 — an area slightly larger than that of Peru — with net gains in 36 countries. However, forest cover gains will never offset forest loss in terms of carbon storage, biodiversity and ecosystems services. The loss of primary forests cannot be replaced simply by reforestation or afforestation activities, according to the report. Forests that are currently intact need to remain intact.

The assessment stresses that forests are fundamental to regulating and re-stabilizing the global climate, with tropical forests playing a disproportionate role in this regard. Eliminating deforestation by 2030 is a major milestone for the Paris target because land use change, including deforestation and degradation, account for about 10-12% of global emissions.

“The Forest Declaration Assessment sends another warning signal that efforts to halt deforestation are not enough and we’re not on track to achieve our 2030 goals. There is no pathway to meeting the 1.5 degrees C target set out in the Paris Agreement or reversing biodiversity loss without halting deforestation and conversion. It’s time for bold leadership and for daring solutions to reverse this alarming trend,” said Fran Price, global forest practice lead, World Wildlife Fund.

200 times more funding for forests is needed

Less than 1% of the finance needed to protect and restore forests is currently being met. Currently, domestic and international mitigation finance for forests averages USD 2.3 billion per year, while the full total required is up to 460 billion per year.

IPs and LCs receive far less funding than their estimated needs for securing tenure rights and preserving the ecosystems in their territories — only 3% of need is being met annually.

Pledges made in 2021 demonstrate an increased ambition. If fully implemented, they would quadruple annual finance for forests, to USD 9.5 billion every year between 2021-25. However, this is still far from what is needed, and no information is yet available on how these pledges will be met.

“Governments, financial institutions, companies and philanthropies who make financial commitments must pair their marketing efforts on these pledges with transparency,” said Erin Matson, senior consultant at Climate Focus. “Right now, climate progress remains as illusory as climate funding, but transparency can provide an understanding of how far we have to go to get on the right trajectory and how quickly we have to move.”

Voluntary action not enough; mandates are needed to level the playing field for companies

Only a quarter of major global companies in the agriculture sector have announced a clear, comprehensive and ambitious policy to eliminate deforestation from their supply chains. Of those companies, fewer than 20% are close to meeting their commitments. The mining sector recently made strides by adopting policies and standards that address biodiversity impacts, but overall still lag significantly behind the agriculture sector.

Robust legal and policy instruments — such as moratoria, strengthened enforcement capacity, smart conservation policies and improved transparency and accountability — protect forests. The report notes as evidence the remarkable reductions in deforestation in various periods since 2004 when these tools have been employed in Indonesia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guyana, and Brazil. Yet, some of these achievements have been reversed — notably in Brazil —or are at risk of doing so, as countries phase out or roll back policy gains through recent and proposed amendments.

Recent legal reforms in major forest countries such as the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Peru have strengthened IP and LC rights recognition and protection. However, many major forest countries have also weakened the legal protection of IPs and LC rights through regulatory and legislative changes, and IPs and LCs still face violations of their rights and territories, as well as violence and marginalization.

“This report is another stark reminder that only eight years remain to meet 2030 global forest goals of halting deforestation and restoring degraded lands. Action from companies isn’t happening at the speed and scale that’s required to halt and reverse nature loss and limit global warming in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Building momentum requires more and better disclosure from companies and the right signals and incentives from governments, from investors and from consumers,” said Thomas Maddox, global director, forests and land, CDP.

“Since our first assessment in 2016, we've seen little progress in removing deforestation from corporate supply chains,” noted Franziska Haupt. “The potential of voluntary company action has not yet been realized, but we've seen success where strong governance meets genuine company effort through aligned, inclusive and collaborative action. That's where the rubber meets the road and we can finally change the global trajectory toward the 2030 forest goals.”

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Read the 2022 global Forest Declaration Assessment here: "Forest Declaration Assessment: Are we on track for 2030?"

A series of four reports on Overarching forest goals (Theme 1), Sustainable production and development (Theme 2), Finance for forests (Theme 3), and Forest governance (Theme 4).

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For more information, contact:

Ellen Wilson, +1 301-466-3205 or [email protected]

Susan Tonassi, +1 202-716-9665 or [email protected]

The REJEFAC, or Réseau des Jeunes pour les Forêts d’Afrique centrale, is a network of young leaders from civil society that promote the inclusion of youth and gender perspectives within sustainable development discussions in Central Africa. AJVC is its branch in Cameroon.

Could you describe the work of the REJEFAC in Central Africa? 

REJEFAC is a network of Organizations of Young Civil Society Leaders working to promote youth and gender issues within discussions and decisions on the sustainable management of natural resources, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and integrated management of water resources. REJEFAC has branches in the ten member countries of COMIFAC: Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, and Chad. The main mission of this network is to bring the concerns and positions of member organizations to the institutions and to build the capacity of groups of young leaders of the Congo Basin on concepts related to its missions. 

The REJEFAC was created in 2006 on the sidelines of the consultative meeting of young leaders of Central Africa, as a follow-up to the recommendations of the France-Africa Summit and as a prelude to the Europe-Africa Summit. In 2008, the REJEFAC’s first constitutive general assembly was held in Douala, with the adoption of the fundamental texts and the election of the Bureau. 

How does your work drive progress toward ending deforestation and restoring degraded lands by 2030? 

Our network is represented by Country Focal Points who implement, with the support of the regional coordinators, different sub-regional or national activities of the network such as the fight against the effects of climate change and the promotion of renewable energies. It is a thematic network of CEFDHAC – the Conference on Dense and Moist Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa. REJEFAC’s strategic document defines its strategy of intervention and deployment of its activities for the period 2018-2025. 

What do you believe is the biggest challenge for addressing deforestation and forest degradation in the Congo Basin? 

Around the world, climate change is becoming visible and part of everyone's experience at both the collective and individual levels. This is especially true for people exposed to extreme weather events at the local level and whose livelihoods depend directly on land use, natural resources, and where slow and gradual climate trends are materializing, such as variations in precipitation and ecosystem compositions that no longer allow rural women and young entrepreneurs to control the seasons. Despite three decades of international attempts and negotiations to combat climate change and deforestation, the problems of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystems remain unchanged. 

However, climate change is becoming one of the main drivers of new human-induced changes; for example, the increasing intensity and extent of forest fires around the world are adding significantly to direct human emissions and underscore the urgency of effective measures, access to fertile land and financing by non-state actors, and the importance of engaging youth, women and communities in the Congo Basin sub-region in finding climate solutions and creating green jobs and opportunities for the younger generation. 

What was your experience working with the Forest Declaration Regional Assessment this year and what future collaboration opportunities do you see to reach 2030 forest goals? 

Thank you to Climate Focus for the trust that was placed in national and local civil society organizations and relevant networks in the Congo Basin to do such important technical work. The methodology used allowed us to learn more about the state of the art and an opportunity to build the capacity of our REJEFAC members in the countries that participated in the data collection (identifying structures, institutions).  

Very often, non-state stakeholders have very little knowledge of the commitments made by their states that participate in some of these international meetings, harmonize their state positions (ECCAS, COMIFAC, CBFP …) and this allows for a clear understanding of what is being done to respect these commitments to local and Indigenous communities and the limits of these actions. This study report clearly showed us the need to participate in the wide dissemination of information so that it reaches a larger majority of non-state stakeholders. All in all, a great experience and learning process. It is important to continue this work in the different communities and at the grassroots level in order to bring back the key messages from the affected populations to the grassroots. 

What are your 3 messages to world leaders attending COP27? 

1. World states and leaders with their civil societies have demonstrated an international will to curb the problem in a sustainable way, and the formulation of commitments and promises is not new. It is important to change the paradigm and develop a bottom-up approach. 

2. It is important to align nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with national policies and development strategies of countries to contribute to the well-being of local and Indigenous populations. 

3. Focus on the young generation of Congo Basin leaders and women by integrating them into the various decision-making spaces in order to sustain the actions undertaken by the Congo Basin States upstream. 

[FRENCH]

Pourriez-vous décrire le travail du Rejefac en Afrique centrale ? 

Le REJEFAC est un réseau d’Organisations des jeunes leaders de la Société Civile d’appui à la jeunesse du bassin du Congo, qui œuvrent pour la promotion de la jeunesse et des questions du genre dans la gestion durable des ressources naturelles, la protection de l’environnement, la conservation de la biodiversité et la gestion intégrée des ressources en eaux. Le REJEFAC est présent dans les dix pays membres de la COMIFAC : Burundi, Cameroun, Gabon, Guinée Équatoriale, République Centrafricaine, République du Congo ; République Démocratique du Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tomé & Principe et Tchad. La principale mission de ce réseau est de porter les préoccupations et les positions des organisations membres auprès des institutions, ainsi que de renforcer les capacités des groupes de jeunes leaders du bassin du Congo  sur les concepts en lien avec ses missions. 

Le REJEFAC a été créé 2006 en marge de la rencontre consultative des jeunes leaders d’Afrique centrale, suite aux recommandations du Sommet France Afrique et en prélude au Sommet Europe Afrique. La première assemblée générale constitutive du Rejefac s’est tenue à Douala en 2008, avec adoption des textes fondamentaux et élection du Bureau.  

Comment votre travail contribue-t-il à l’atteinte des objectifs de réduction de la déforestation et de la restauration des paysages forestiers ? 

Notre réseau est représenté par des Points Focaux Pays qui mettent en œuvre, avec l’accompagnement de la coordination régionale, les différentes activités sous régionales ou nationales du réseau, la lutte contre les effets des changements climatiques et la promotion des énergies renouvelables. Il constitue un réseau thématique de la CEFDHAC - la Conférence sur les Écosystèmes forestiers d'Afrique Centrale. Le document stratégique du REJEFAC définit sa stratégie d’intervention et de déploiement de ses activités pour la période 2018 -2025. 

Quel est selon vous le plus grand défi pour lutter contre la déforestation et la dégradation des paysages forestiers dans le bassin du Congo ? 

Partout dans le monde, le changement climatique devient visible et fait partie de l'expérience vécue par tous tant au niveau collectif et individuel. C'est particulièrement le cas des personnes exposées à des phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes au niveau local et dont les moyens de subsistance dépendent directement de l'utilisation des terres, des ressources naturelles mais aussi des endroits où des tendances climatiques lentes et progressives se matérialisent, telles que les variations de précipitations et les compositions des écosystèmes qui ne permettent plus aux femmes et jeunes entrepreneurs ruraux de contrôler les saisons.  

Malgré trois décennies de tentatives et de négociations internationales pour lutter contre le changement climatique et la déforestation, les problèmes liés à l'augmentation des concentrations de gaz à effet de serre dans l'atmosphère et à la perte de biodiversité et d'écosystèmes restent inchangés. En revanche, le changement climatique devient l'un des principaux moteurs de nouveaux changements induits par l’activité humaine ; par exemple, l'intensité et l'étendue croissante des incendies de forêt dans le monde s'ajoutent de manière significative aux émissions humaines directes et soulignent l'urgence de mesures efficaces, l’accès aux terres fertiles et financements par les acteurs non étatiques, et plus l’importance d’t plus l’importance d’engager les jeunes, femmes et communautés de la sous-région du Bassin du Congo à trouver des solutions climatiques et créer des emplois verts et opportunités pour les jeunes générations.   

Quelle a été votre expérience au sein du Forest Declaration Assessment cette année et quelles opportunités de collaboration futures voyez-vous pour atteindre les objectifs forestiers 2030 ? 

Merci à climate focus pour la confiance qui a été accordée aux OSC nationales et locales, et aux réseaux pertinents du bassin du Congo à faire un travail technique aussi important. La méthodologie utilisée nous a permis d’apprendre plus sur l’état des lieux et une occasion de renforcer les capacités de nos membres Rejefac  dans les pays qui ont participé à la collecte de données (identifier les structures, institutions. Participer à la compilation des données… 

Très souvent, les parties prenantes non étatiques ont très peu de connaissances des engagements pris par leurs États qui participent à certaines de ces réunions internationales, harmonisent leurs positions étatiques (CEEAC, COMIFAC, PFBC …) et cela permets une compréhension claire de ce qui est fait pour respecter ces engagements auprès des communautés locales et autochtones et des limites de ces actions. Ce rapport d’étude nous a montré clairement la nécessité de participer à la diffusion large des informations afin qu elles atteignent une plus grande majorité des parties prenantes non étatiques. En somme, une belle expérience et processus d’apprentissage. Il est important de continuer ce travail dans les différentes communautés et à la base afin de faire remonter les messages clés et phares des populations touchées à la base. 

Quels sont vos 3 messages aux dirigeants participant à la COP27 ? 

1. Les États et leaders du Monde avec leurs société civile ont démontré une volonté internationale à endiguer le problème de manière pérenne, et la formulation des engagements et promesses n’est pas nouvelles, il est important de changer de paradigme et développer une approche bottom-up. 

2. Il est important d’aligner les contributions déterminées à l’échelle nationale (CDN), aux politiques nationales, stratégies de développement des pays afin de contribuer au bien-être des populations locales et autochtones. 

3. Miser sur la jeune génération de leaders du bassin du Congo et les femmes en les intégrant dans les divers espaces de prise de décision afin de pérenniser les actions entreprises par les États du Bassin du Congo en amont…

Update 25 August, 2022: At this time, we have received sufficient applications for all countries listed below except Dominica. If you are an expert on Dominica's forest and governance landscape, please apply!

The Forest Declaration Assessment is seeking to contract country-level forest and climate experts to provide external, peer review for nine country-level assessments of progress. If you are an expert in the forest context for one or more of the following countries, we encourage you to apply!   

• Cambodia 
• Canada 
• Colombia 
• Dominica 
• Ecuador 
• Indonesia 
• Kenya 
• Liberia 
• Vietnam 

Reviewers should have expertise on the topics of forest finance, forest governance, sustainable production and development, and/or deforestation and restoration monitoring. We expect the reviews to take about two working days to complete, and the window for reviews is between August 22^nd and September 9^th.  Applications will be accepted until we find at least two reviewers for each country.

The scope of work is available here.

Please share the scope of work with experts in your network! These country-level assessments will inform the global assessment reports which will be published later this year. 

Countries and companies are increasingly making voluntary pledges to signal their intent to act on climate change. The last few years have seen a string of pledges in the area of forestry and land use, including forest protection, sustainable supply chains, the energy transition and climate finance. While these pledges play an important role in showcasing ambition, they must be followed by tangible actions to meet climate and forest protection targets. However, many of the recent forest-related pledges do not have built-in monitoring and reporting measures in place, making it difficult for policymakers and civil society to assess progress.

Without monitoring and reporting, pledges can quickly become empty promises.

Independent tracking mechanisms can help drive accountability on pledges and address the gaps between intent and action. Civil society and the research community are particularly well-placed to take the lead in tracking and assessing action and policy implementation. They are often at the forefront of local climate action and bring important community connections and perspectives on the ground-level of the consequences of inaction on the part of stakeholders in power.

The Forest Declaration Assessment is the most comprehensive civil society-led effort to assess collective progress toward 2030 forest goals.

Since the launch of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) in 2014 – the first high-level multi-stakeholder forest protection pledge – the Forest Declaration Assessment has tracked global forest action and developed a baseline for measuring progress toward the target of halting and reversing deforestation by 2030. This global initiative coordinated by Climate Focus, in partnership over 20 international partners with expertise in forest protection and action, has led to the publication of seven annual reports on the state of action to meet 2030 forest goals. Initially a tracking mechanism against the 10 goals of the NYDF, the assessment has evolved in response to the plethora of new forest pledges that emerged at COP26. Based on our extensive assessment experience and the expertise of our partners, we have updated how we will work moving forward to hold commitment-makers accountable to their voluntary pledges while supporting the speed of action we need to meet the 2030 target of halting and reversing deforestation.

A new forward-thinking approach to tracking action across key priority areas to end deforestation

The Forest Declaration Assessment will track progress towards forest goals including all major forest declarations, from the NYDF to the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, and specific forests pledges like the Global Forest Finance Pledge. One of our biggest learnings from over seven years of conducting assessments, is that while it is important to review how far we have come, it is equally important to know how much further we have to go. The new assessment approach reflects this.

We have organized the Forest Declaration Assessment into four themes which highlight not only the key areas for performance but also the interconnectedness and influence of various stakeholders across sectors.

1. First, we need strong targets to guide efforts.
   1. We track progress on ending deforestation and restoring degraded lands. What does the data show – are we slowing the rate of global deforestation? Are we on track to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030? How quickly do we need to shift the current trends to meet the 2030 targets? 
2. Second, we need to transform global supply chains to become more sustainable.
   1. We assess the extent to which countries are successfully rejecting and overcoming trade-offs between economic growth and forests. Are governments and companies developing and implementing economic and social development trajectories that increase human prosperity while sustainably managing and conserving forests, both at home and abroad? 
3. Third, we need to rethink finance, both in terms of where new funds are deployed and how existing funds can be redirected.
   1. Our assessment asks: how much money will it cost to protect, manage, and restore forests in line with the 2030 goals? How much of that “green” finance is being invested already? And how much existing finance is being invested in other sectors in ways that hinder progress in the forest sector? Under this theme, we assess how financial actors are taking responsibility for the impacts that their spending has on forests around the world. 
4. Finally, we need inclusive decision-making and strong governance.
   1. We assess the legislative and policy frameworks in place to enable forest protection, sustainable management, and restoration; and the degree to which governments are successfully enforcing those policies and laws. This theme will also assess the extent to which citizens, and especially Indigenous Peoples and local communities, are empowered to participate in decision-making and exercise their rights to territory.  

The Assessment Framework approach is systematic, grounded in evidence and built on the knowledge and expertise of a wide network of partners, aiming to drive action.

The Forest Declaration Assessment was developed to enable decision makers, public or private, to identify key gaps across sectors, and to overcome challenges in addressing these gaps. To this end, the Framework uses three criteria to evaluate the extent of forest action:

• Do policies/ interventions/ measures exist?
• Are the measures in place good enough? Do they cover the required scope and address the right levers for change?
• Have steps been taken to fully implement the measures so that they aren’t just on paper? Are policies integrated into domestic plans? Are the responsible agencies adequately funded? Are we beginning to see impact?

This work is driven by a network of leading global and regional civil society and research organizations and the Forest Declaration Assessment Partners, including groups who work directly on forests or with forest communities, to generate insights, support implementation through research, as well as direct advocacy to stakeholders in adopting recommendations.

By combining data, expertise, and networks, the Forest Declaration Assessment helps drive progress at a country and regional level. 

This year, we will apply the new Assessment Framework in 15 major forest countries spanning four continents to assess actions taken by governments, companies, financial institutions, civil society, and Indigenous peoples and local communities to reach 2030 forest targets. In the future, we will gradually expand the dataset to include all major forest and consumer countries. Such a comprehensive and evidence-backed assessment of country-level progress will help national leaders identify policy areas requiring action, anticipated challenges, and potential solutions.

Recognizing the critical role played by civil society and research actors in providing relevant and up-to-date data, we are also piloting a bottom-up assessment process regionally in the Congo Basin, in direct collaboration with local networks and organizations. Congo Basin is a critical tropical carbon sink, and an important historically high-forest/low-deforestation (HFLD) area, characterized by significant private sector supply chains, forest finance, and conservation activities. This status is under threat, however, with growing signs of increasing pressure to Congo Basin forests. The regional assessment will identify research gaps, and advocate findings and potential solutions directly to government decision-makers, donors, and other key actors.

The Forest Declaration Assessment Partners have reflected on and adapted to the changing landscape of voluntary international forest pledges. The Assessment will continue to support accountability and drive progress toward 2030 forest goals by reporting on progress so far, highlighting where efforts may be falling short and commitments makers have failed to live up to promises; as well as by looking to the future, identifying barriers to progress and providing recommendations on overcoming those barriers.

At the end of the day, the Forest Declaration Assessment aims to offer an essential reality check for decision-makers, advocates, and other stakeholders by providing rigorous evidence-based stocktakes and recommendations for action that take into account the interconnected nature of forest action.

Photo credit: Donny Iqbal/CIFOR-ICRAF via Flickr

Today, a new briefing paper from the Forest Declaration Assessment was released confirming the important role Indigenous peoples and local communities play in combating climate change. According to researchers from World Resources Institute and Climate Focus, 2030 climate targets will be impossible to achieve without protecting and accounting for Indigenous and community lands.

The report focuses on the mitigation potential of Indigenous and community lands in four of the Amazon’s most forested countries: Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. It has found that these lands are a hidden, undervalued, yet foundational component of countries’ efforts to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts in line with their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.  

"Peru would need to retire its entire vehicle fleet to compensate for losing just half of the sequestration services provided by Indigenous and local community held forests,” Darragh Conway, Lead Legal Consultant at the international climate think tank Climate Focus, said.

Without explicitly recognizing the risk to and outlining measures to protect these lands, drastic – and realistically impossible – actions in other sectors would have to be enacted to come close to matching the value of the mitigation services provided by IPLC lands.

Current NDCs fall short in establishing actions, targets, and policies relating to Indigenous and local community-managed lands. In many NDCs and national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, carbon sequestered by Indigenous lands and forests are not specifically accounted for, making these lands that have been quietly saving us from climate disaster invisible in national reports. Additionally, these lands are currently threatened by over-development, mining, and agri-business.

More and better data on the contribution of IPLC lands can support policymakers and Indigenous leaders in collectively defining the role Indigenous and local community-managed lands can play in national mitigation and adaptation strategies. To help address the data gap, this paper analyzed the balance of carbon that was emitted from and absorbed by forests between 2001 and 2020 in Indigenous lands compared to other lands.

The analysis in this paper was used to develop a set of actionable recommendations for governments in the four countries, many of which are also relevant to governments in other forest countries with significant Indigenous populations. Countries need to urgently implement measures to protect Indigenous Peoples and their lands from the violence and incursions they are facing, and to empower and respect Indigenous and local communities, or else they risk setting their climate change efforts back significantly – at least 20-30% in this analysis (not to mention other costs such as social harm and the loss of irreplaceable biodiversity).

Incorporating Indigenous peoples and local communities and their lands in NDCs and related processes is an important—and necessary—step toward realizing their potential in helping Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru meet their international climate commitments.

Read the briefing paper here - available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Finally, a shared 2030 target

After a year of delay, COP26 was finally held in Glasgow in November 2021. One of its early celebrated outcomes was the signing of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (GLD), which brought, for the first time, governments of forest heavy-hitters like Brazil, Russia, and China onboard to the goal of halting and reversing global deforestation. Within days of its launch, it had secured the endorsement of 141 countries, covering over 90% of the world’s forests.

The GLD was the culmination of over a decade of political momentum to embrace the 2030 target to halt deforestation and restore degraded lands. From the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Bonn Challenge in 2011, to the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) in 2014, to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement in 2015, the international community has awakened to the reality that our current approach to forest exploitation and management is not tenable if we want to secure a stable and livable climate.

Much of the media coverage of the GLD pointed out that the NYDF – the GLD’s most direct predecessor – failed to deliver on its 2020 targets of halving natural forest loss, restoring 150 million hectares of degraded land, and ending deforestation driven by agricultural commodity production. Adopted in 2014 at the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit, the NYDF garnered endorsements from 41 national governments and over 160 other stakeholders – subnational governments, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, companies, and nongovernmental organizations – who all signed on to “strive to end natural forest loss” and restore 350 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. The NYDF, with endorsers beyond national governments, remains the most comprehensive multistakeholder forest pledge in place.

The urgency is real, but so are the solutions

Since 2015, the NYDF Assessment Partners have conducted an annual assessment of global progress toward the ten goals of the NYDF and its 2020 and 2030 targets. We have found that the NYDF’s 2020 targets were not met. Some indicators are actually moving in the wrong direction: annual tree cover loss and gross emissions from humid tropical primary forests, for example, are both increasing. Recent data indicates that the world is not on a trajectory to meet the 2030 targets either.

It is now 2022, and we have only eight years to end and reverse deforestation. The urgency for climate action is unlike that which we have seen before – drought, floods, disease, and displacement are becoming all too commonplace. Still, the global community is not starting from scratch in its quest to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030. The NYDF Assessment has amassed an important reservoir of knowledge on global progress and the barriers that stakeholders face in protecting and restoring forests. From ending agricultural commodity-driven deforestation, to increasing finance for forests, improving forest governance, promoting sustainable development, and setting and implementing ambitious national forest targets under the Paris Agreement, we have amassed a great deal of knowledge about what works, what doesn’t, and what remains to be done to turn the tide on deforestation.

We know that respecting Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ rights to their traditionally held and managed land pays climate dividends in securing and increasing carbon stored in forests. And we know that when government regulations and enforcement are combined with voluntary private sector initiatives, commodity-driven deforestation can be held in check, as has happened in Indonesia. On the flip side, we have seen that voluntary private sector initiatives can have unintended consequences – for example, the Amazon Soy Moratorium was wildly successful in reducing deforestation in the Amazon, only to drive a drastic uptick in the conversion of native deforestation in the Cerrado. Siloed approaches more often than not lead to leakage and failed efforts.

How far we've come, and how far we have to go

For the next four weeks, the NYDF Assessment will summarize progress made since 2014 against the NYDF goals. Taken together, these goal summaries provide a holistic overview of the state of play and key remaining challenges in protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing forests. The slide decks also serve as a baseline for assessing efforts from now until 2030 across the following four forest themes:

1. Setting and achieving overarching targets to end deforestation and restore degraded lands (Goals 1 & 5).
2. Taking action to ensure sustainable production and development (Goals 2, 3, and 4)
3. Shifting and sourcing new finance for forests (Goals 8 & 9)
4. Strengthening forest governance and empowering Indigenous Peoples and local communities (Goal 10)

These summaries provide a resource for those who want to learn how far we have come – and where we have stumbled – so that we can refine, improve, and accelerate our actions moving forward. They also provide a stark reality check for decision-makers who have offered a range of forest commitments in response to the growing urgency of the climate crisis, but who have been much slower to enact the necessary policies and invest the much-needed finances to shift our trajectory. The NYDF Assessment has and will continue to fill its essential role as a global accountability mechanism for forest pledges, and these summaries provide a baseline for our assessments through 2030.      

The majority of nations have declared the critical need to protect our forests as part of the heroic global effort to tackle climate change. We have a chance to capture this recent political momentum and finally turn the tide on deforestation.  We’re on our way, but we have a long way to go. First, let’s take a moment to review the lessons of the past – and then let’s get to the world we want together.

All four themes are now available to read and share.

- Theme 1 - overarching targets - is available here: Overarching targets (Goals 1 & 5)

- Theme 2 - sustainable production and development - is available here: Sustainable production and development (Goals 2, 3, & 4)

- Theme 3 - forest finance - is available here: Finance for forests (Goals 8 & 9)

- Theme 4 - forest governance - here: Strengthening forest governance and empowering Indigenous Peoples and local communities (Goal 10)

Photo by Raimond Klavins on Unsplash