BEST PRACTICE
Protecting & Restoring Forests
Forests cover 27% of earth’s land and hold 70% of plant and animal species. Deforestation threatens the most biodiverse habitats on Earth, generating 10% of annual ghg emissions.
Over 30% of global forests have been completely cleared. Of the remaining area, only 36% is primary old growth.
Many of the world’s oldest forests are threatened with deforestation. Illegal logging and expanding agriculture and ranching are the primary drivers.
7% of global forests are intensively managed plantations, primarily monocrops that cannot support native biodiversity.
Restoring and protecting forests and reforming forestry practices could reduce and absorb up to 30% of emissions and return 8% of all land to protected areas, preventing the loss of the most biodiverse habitats on earth.
Wide scale restoration could absorb 10-20% of climate emissions, and increase forest area by over 25%, helping to prevent up to 60% of expected extinctions.
By supporting sustainable forestry practices and reducing global demand for meat, we can reduce deforestation pressure and increase protections for the earth’s remaining forests.
Efficiently managed plantations with more native species could reduce and absorb 5% of emissions and increase biological diversity in commercial forests.
