Forests are under growing pressure. Every year, millions of hectares of tree cover disappear, taking with them biodiversity, water cycles, climate stability, and the livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
On the International Day for Biological Diversity, this loss is a reminder that forests are not only carbon stores. They are living ecosystems where species survive, watersheds are protected, food systems are sustained, and local economies and cultures are rooted.
The cost of this loss is not abstract, and according to UNEP's analysis, it is estimated at USD 81 billion per year in avoided damages alone. Achieving the 2030 goal to halt and reverse deforestation is, therefore, central to keeping forests standing as habitats, climate regulators and sources of life and resilience for people. Backed by commitments in the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement, and closely aligned with the ambition of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the COP30 Forests Roadmap offers a way to connect global commitments with practical action on the ground.
What is the COP30 roadmap on forests, and why it matters
The COP30 Roadmap for Halting and Reversing Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030 is a strategic, action-oriented document being developed by the COP30 Presidency throughout 2026, with formal presentation planned for the second semester of the year. It was announced at COP30 in Belém alongside the Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in a Just, Orderly and Equitable Manner (TAFF). The Forest Roadmap, in turn, is designed to translate the forest-related outcomes of the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement (specifically paragraphs 33 and 34) into coordinated action at national and international levels.
Critically, the Roadmap is non-mandatory and not legally binding. It is a proposal put forward voluntarily by the COP30 Presidency and is not a negotiated document. Its aim is not to impose a single model on all countries. Rather, it acknowledges that every country faces a distinct set of circumstances, from the biomes they steward to the legal systems, institutional capacities, and economic pressures that shape their choices. The Roadmap is being designed to be globally applicable and grounded in evidence, addressing all major forest biomes through five interconnected areas of action: curbing deforestation, combating degradation, enabling restoration, advancing sustainable forest management, and reinforcing conservation.
Think of it less as a rulebook and more as a shared architecture: it is being structured to support countries to identify the drivers of forest loss in their context, draw on proven policy tools from around the world, and build their own national forest roadmap from a common foundation.
Forests sit at the heart of interconnected ecosystem services that are crucial for global stability. Deforestation and ecosystem collapse are not isolated problems , they feed into water insecurity, food production failures, climate instability, and broader economic fragility. Hence, addressing deforestation and forest degradation on the road to 2030 requires alignment across a range of actors. The Roadmap proposal builds on this understanding.
The Roadmap also directly supports the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. By translating high-level commitments into possible coordinated national action, it helps close the implementation gap that has long prevented forest ambition from matching forest outcomes: whether on emissions reductions, biodiversity protection, or the rights of forest-dependent communities.
The finance dimension, in turn, is particularly stark - and it will also be a crucial dimension the COP30 Forest Roadmap will delve into. Current forest finance is highly fragmented. And according to UNEP’s State of Forest Finance Report 2025, forest finance must triple, reaching USD 300 billion per year by 2030, for us to meet the 2030 forest goals.
How it is been built?
Following its announcement during COP30, throughout May till mid April the Roadmap was open for submissions from parties, civil society organisations and the public in general. All submissions can be found here. According to the Roadmap Team, the COP30 Call for Inputs generated over 170 submissions from around the world. This breadth of engagement reflects convergence of political will and boosts the initiative’s cross-regional legitimacy. During UNFF, in New York, the Roadmap Team was also present to share key highlights and the roadmap structure.
What happens next
The Roadmap is expected to be presented at COP31, but its preparation during 2026 is itself a moment of action. And engagement on the Roadmap will continue throughout the key international climate events of the year. With consultations or engagement events on the roadmap, and led by COP30 Presidency, forecasted to take place all the way to COP31.
