Global Forest Vision 2030

Syllabus: GS3/ Environment & Conservation

In Context

• According to the Forest Declaration Assessment (FDA) report released, the world lost 6.37 million hectares of forests in 2023 alone, threatening global climate and biodiversity goals.

About 

• The Forest Declaration Assessment (FDA) was launched in 2015 as the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Progress Assessment.
  • The NYDF, is a voluntary, non-binding declaration, was adopted in 2014 at the UN Climate Summit.
• It sets 10 goals, including halting deforestation by 2030 and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes.
• India is not yet a signatory to the NYDF.

Key Findings

• Alarming Forest Loss:
  • 6.37 million hectares of forest lost in 2023. Equivalent to 9 million soccer fields.
  • Major drivers: Palm oil, soy, beef, timber.
  • Affects regions like the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
• Cost to Biodiversity:
  • Amazon: Cattle ranching is the largest cause of deforestation, responsible for about 80 per cent of deforestation across all Amazon countries.
  • Southeast Asia: Palm oil expansion threatens orangutans, Sumatran tigers.
    • Palm oil alone contributes 5% to tropical deforestation.

Key Recommendations of the Report

• Align national plans with forest goals in UNFCCC COP30 (Brazil, Nov 2025).
• Strengthen deforestation-free trade agreements.
• Ban imports of products linked to forest loss.
• Scale up results-based payments and forest carbon finance.
• Secure land and resource rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs & LCs).
• Ensure financial institutions account for forest-related risks.
• Repurpose harmful subsidies towards sustainable land-use practices.
• Improve forest governance in line with international environmental commitments.
• Integrate forest natural capital into debt management frameworks.

India’s Role: Challenges and Opportunities

• Challenges: 
  • High dependence on imported palm oil and timber.
  • No specific trade restrictions on deforestation-linked products.
  • Small farmers may lack tech to prove deforestation-free production.
• Opportunities:
  • Introduce deforestation-free import laws.
  • Support farmers through capacity building, finance, and tech.
  • Lead South-South cooperation on sustainable agriculture and trade.
  • Link with existing schemes like CAMPA, National Agroforestry Policy, and Bio-Energy Mission.

Source: DTE