UN Climate Change News, 24 March 2026 - Forests are not only vital ecosystems but also indispensable to economies and industries worldwide. This year's International Day of Forests highlights the crucial link between forests and economies, underscoring the role forests play across sectors - from agriculture and construction to energy and tourism.
Globally, forests supply essential raw materials for housing, medicine, food and fuel - but their economic value extends far beyond production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), at least 33 million people are employed in the forest sector worldwide, with demand for forest-based products and ecotourism continuing to grow.
Forests also provide ecosystem services with wide-ranging benefits for economic growth and prosperity. By regulating climate, maintaining soil fertility and safeguarding water security, they boost agricultural productivity and help reduce the costs associated with climate-related disasters.
These benefits are particularly significant for poverty alleviation and inclusive, sustainable development. In many low-income countries, forests contribute a larger share of GDP and provide a vital safety net for vulnerable communities during times of economic stress. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) estimates that more than 1.6 billion people depend on forests for subsistence, income or employment.
Yet these economic lifelines are under growing threat. Deforestation, forest degradation and climate change are putting these ecosystems - and the industries and communities that rely on them - at risk. Strengthening restoration and conservation efforts is therefore not only an environmental imperative but also an economic one. FAO estimates that non-wood forest products alone are worth at least 9.41 billion USD annually, with potential for further growth.
Strengthening transparency through REDD+ assessments
UN Climate Change is convening the 13th technical assessment week of REDD+ reference levels in Bonn from 23 to 27 March 2026.
These assessments play a key role in enhancing the transparency and credibility of efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), while supporting countries in their implementation. Improving the accuracy of reference levels also helps build technical capacity and strengthen national systems.
This year, seven countries are undergoing technical assessments. Cameroon and Guinea have submitted their reference levels for the first time, while Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal and Nigeria have updated theirs using improved methodologies and data.
COP30 Presidency launches roadmap to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030
At COP30, the Brazilian Presidency positioned forests as both an economic cornerstone and a critical front in climate action.
"Forests can buy us time in climate action in our rapidly closing window of opportunity," said COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago ahead of the conference. "If we reverse deforestation and recover what has been lost, we can unlock massive removals of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere while bringing ecosystems back to life. Healthier ecosystems can equally offer resilience and bioeconomy opportunities by promoting local livelihoods, creating sophisticated value-chains, and generating innovations in biotechnology."
The COP30 Presidency closed the conference by launching work on a Roadmap for Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030. The initiative aims to translate the outcomes of the first global stocktake into concrete action, emphasizing the need to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation to achieve the Paris Agreement's temperature goal, including through incentives such as results-based payments.
The roadmap will provide guidance, identify existing solutions and means of implementation, and highlight key obstacles. As a first step, the COP30 Presidency has opened a call for submissions until 31 March 2026, inviting contributions from diverse stakeholders and emphasizing the importance of an inclusive, participatory and transparent process.
