2018 Goal 2 assessment

Key messages

• The number of corporate commitments to reduce or halt deforestation driven by agricultural commodity supply chains reached 797 in 2018. After several years of rapid growth, the pace of new commitments has slowed markedly from a 77 percent increase in 2014 to less than 2 percent in 2018.
• Commitments have reached significant shares of certain commodity markets, yet major gaps remain. Commitments cover large shares of production in international palm oil markets (65 percent) as well as the largest paper and pulp players operating in tropical regions (70 percent), while the shares are low in the global soy and beef markets.
• Across the different sectors, a sample of companies shows that the majority of those with existing commitments have started translating their commitments into action. Despite signs of progress in implementation, comprehensive data to assess the effectiveness of these actions in reducing deforestation is still lacking.
• Support from financial institutions, governments, and civil society for the advancement of corporate commitments is increasing, but progress is incidental. Efforts remain limited in scope and scale.