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Conserving the world’s forests can generate multiple climate benefits by preventing the release of their large carbon stores into the atmosphere, safeguarding their ability to continue sequestering carbon, and, for tropical forests, maintaining the biophysical mechanisms that help to cool the planet. To help secure these benefits, the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration has established the collective goal of halting forest loss—which includes reaching zero gross deforestation—by 2030.  
The world permanently lost at least 5.8 million hectares (Mha) of forests in 2022, with some estimating that the loss was even higher at 6.6 Mha. Global deforestation increased slightly compared to 2021. Should current trends continue, the world will fail to halt permanent forest loss by 2030. The annual rate of gross deforestation instead must fall by nearly 1 Mha each year throughout the rest of this decade to deliver on the GLD’s goal.

 

Deforestation and the trajectory to the 2030 goal (with and without areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires)

Why do we provide two estimates of deforestation?

Deforestation is defined as the permanent conversion of natural forest cover to new, non-forest land uses. Different global data and methods can be used to approximate deforestation, though none perfectly captures trends in permanent forest loss.

Here, we provide two estimates resulting from two different methodologies. Both use a combination of datasets available on Global Forest Watch and estimate deforestation as the areas of tree cover loss where the dominant driver is the production of commodities (namely large-scale agriculture and pastures, and mining), urbanization, or the expansion of shifting agriculture in humid tropical primary forests.

However, the two methodologies treat the presence of fires differently. Tree cover loss from fire includes both natural and human-ignited fires where fire was the direct cause of loss (e.g., does not include burning of felled trees), and can be temporary in nature or lead to permanent land use change.

To illustrate this point, one methodology—described in the State of Climate Action 2023—excludes all tree cover loss due to fire that occurs within the areas described above, while the other methodology—described in the 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment—does not.

While neither of the resulting estimates can be considered perfectly accurate, each serves as an effort to present a realistic depiction of global deforestation trends.

 

Deforestation (including areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires)

When including areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires, the Forest Declaration Assessment finds that deforestation occurred across 6.6 Mha worldwide in 2022. This represents a 4% increase compared to 2021.

 

Deforestation (excluding areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires)

When excluding areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires, the State of Climate Action 2023 finds that 5.8 Mha of deforestation occurred globally in 2022—a 7% increase relative to 2021.

Conserving the world’s forests can generate multiple climate benefits by preventing the release of their large carbon stores into the atmosphere, safeguarding their ability to continue sequestering carbon, and, for tropical forests, maintaining the biophysical mechanisms that help to cool the planet. To help secure these benefits, the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration has established the collective goal of halting forest loss—which includes reaching zero gross deforestation—by 2030.  
The world permanently lost at least 5.8 million hectares (Mha) of forests in 2022, with some estimating that the loss was even higher at 6.6 Mha. Global deforestation increased slightly compared to 2021. Should current trends continue, the world will fail to halt permanent forest loss by 2030. The annual rate of gross deforestation instead must fall by nearly 1 Mha each year throughout the rest of this decade to deliver on the GLD’s goal.

 

Deforestation and the trajectory to the 2030 goal (with and without areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires)

Why do we provide two estimates of deforestation?

Deforestation is defined as the permanent conversion of natural forest cover to new, non-forest land uses. Different global data and methods can be used to approximate deforestation, though none perfectly captures trends in permanent forest loss.

Here, we provide two estimates resulting from two different methodologies. Both use a combination of datasets available on Global Forest Watch and estimate deforestation as the areas of tree cover loss where the dominant driver is the production of commodities (namely large-scale agriculture and pastures, and mining), urbanization, or the expansion of shifting agriculture in humid tropical primary forests.

However, the two methodologies treat the presence of fires differently. Tree cover loss from fire includes both natural and human-ignited fires where fire was the direct cause of loss (e.g., does not include burning of felled trees), and can be temporary in nature or lead to permanent land use change.

To illustrate this point, one methodology—described in the State of Climate Action 2023—excludes all tree cover loss due to fire that occurs within the areas described above, while the other methodology—described in the 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment—does not.

While neither of the resulting estimates can be considered perfectly accurate, each serves as an effort to present a realistic depiction of global deforestation trends.

 

Deforestation (including areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires)

When including areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires, the Forest Declaration Assessment finds that deforestation occurred across 6.6 Mha worldwide in 2022. This represents a 4% increase compared to 2021.

 

Deforestation (excluding areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires)

When excluding areas of tree cover loss cleared by fires, the State of Climate Action 2023 finds that 5.8 Mha of deforestation occurred globally in 2022—a 7% increase relative to 2021.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released when the world loses humid tropical primary forests account for a large share of total emissions from deforestation. In 2022, for example, gross emissions from humid tropical primary forest loss totaled 2.7 GtCO2e – an 8.7% increase relative to average annual GHG emissions from 2018 to 2020. To put the scale of these emissions in perspective, global emissions from humid tropical primary forest loss were roughly equivalent to half of the United States’ total GHG emissions in 2022.   

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released when the world loses humid tropical primary forests account for a large share of total emissions from deforestation. In 2022, for example, gross emissions from humid tropical primary forest loss totaled 2.7 GtCO2e – an 8.7% increase relative to average annual GHG emissions from 2018 to 2020. To put the scale of these emissions in perspective, global emissions from humid tropical primary forest loss were roughly equivalent to half of the United States’ total GHG emissions in 2022.   

Data limitations make it difficult to assess progress made towards the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest degradation globally. Here, we rely on two indicators to approximate trends in forest degradation: forest landscape integrity, as estimated by the Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII), and tree cover loss within intact forest landscapes. 
Intact forest landscapes are mosaics of forested and naturally treeless ecosystems that show very few signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation. Occupying a minimum area of 50,000 hectares, they are large enough to play a critical role in helping to maintain native biodiversity. Accordingly, these ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and contain large carbon stores. Reducing tree cover loss within these natural terrestrial ecosystems is a key part of halting forest loss and land degradation by 2030.  
Yet, annual rates of tree cover loss across these intact forest landscapes have been on the rise since 2001. In 2022 alone, 3.9 million hectares were lost – a 19% increase relative to average annual losses from 2018 to 2022. Though not all tree cover loss is permanent, the increasing trend likely indicates more degradation and fragmentation of these ecosystems, as well as a rise in human activity. Efforts to address tree cover loss in intact forest landscapes must be accelerated, urgently and rapidly, to reverse this concerning trend. 

Data limitations make it difficult to assess progress made towards the 2030 goal of halting and reversing forest degradation globally. Here, we rely on two indicators to approximate trends in forest degradation: forest landscape integrity, as estimated by the Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII), and tree cover loss within intact forest landscapes. 
Intact forest landscapes are mosaics of forested and naturally treeless ecosystems that show very few signs of human activity or habitat fragmentation. Occupying a minimum area of 50,000 hectares, they are large enough to play a critical role in helping to maintain native biodiversity. Accordingly, these ecosystems are hotspots for biodiversity and contain large carbon stores. Reducing tree cover loss within these natural terrestrial ecosystems is a key part of halting forest loss and land degradation by 2030.  
Yet, annual rates of tree cover loss across these intact forest landscapes have been on the rise since 2001. In 2022 alone, 3.9 million hectares were lost – a 19% increase relative to average annual losses from 2018 to 2022. Though not all tree cover loss is permanent, the increasing trend likely indicates more degradation and fragmentation of these ecosystems, as well as a rise in human activity. Efforts to address tree cover loss in intact forest landscapes must be accelerated, urgently and rapidly, to reverse this concerning trend. 

Stretching across roughly 460 million hectares (Mha) as of 2018, forests that are highly significant for biodiversity are disproportionately important for supporting forest-dependent species. Designation of these areas of high significance for forests accounts for both species richness and endemism across forests globally, and is complementary to key biodiversity areas, which also include important areas for geographically restricted species. Key biodiversity areas, however, determine important sites for biodiversity according to a broader range of criteria, including ecological integrity, threat status, or irreplaceability.  
Loss of forest habitat in areas with high significance for biodiversity, specifically, may have outsized impacts on the species that inhabit these areas, but tree cover loss in these areas continues to occur. In 2022, for example, the world lost 2.2 Mha of tree cover in areas of high significance for forest biodiversity, with over a quarter of these losses concentrated in Brazil, Indonesia, and Madagascar. 

Stretching across roughly 460 million hectares (Mha) as of 2018, forests that are highly significant for biodiversity are disproportionately important for supporting forest-dependent species. Designation of these areas of high significance for forests accounts for both species richness and endemism across forests globally, and is complementary to key biodiversity areas, which also include important areas for geographically restricted species. Key biodiversity areas, however, determine important sites for biodiversity according to a broader range of criteria, including ecological integrity, threat status, or irreplaceability.  
Loss of forest habitat in areas with high significance for biodiversity, specifically, may have outsized impacts on the species that inhabit these areas, but tree cover loss in these areas continues to occur. In 2022, for example, the world lost 2.2 Mha of tree cover in areas of high significance for forest biodiversity, with over a quarter of these losses concentrated in Brazil, Indonesia, and Madagascar.