Forests remain essential to climate stability, biodiversity and livelihoods, but the world is still falling short of the action needed to halt deforestation and sustainably manage forest resources, according to the United Nations’ Global Forest Goals Report 2026.
The report, published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UN Forum on Forests Secretariat, says progress toward the six Global Forest Goals has been uneven. While some areas show positive momentum, the UN warns that forest loss, degradation and underinvestment continue to undermine global efforts to meet the 2030 target.
The report says forests are under growing pressure from deforestation, rising temperatures, economic uncertainty and geopolitical divisions. It notes that the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 provides the framework for collective action to end deforestation, restore degraded landscapes and protect the social and economic benefits forests provide.
According to the report, progress is particularly weak in the effort to stop forest loss, especially primary forest loss. It says Global Forest Goal 1 is only seeing mixed progress, with action needed to halt deforestation more quickly. At the same time, the report says financing for sustainable forest management remains far below what is required, even though some countries have expanded restoration efforts and improved governance.
The report also says forests remain central to livelihoods and poverty reduction, but that progress on improving the lives of forest-dependent communities is insufficient. It says forest-dependent people remain vulnerable to extreme poverty, while access to markets, finance, skills and secure tenure remains limited in many places.
On the more encouraging side, the UN says protection and management planning have improved in many regions, with Global Forest Goal 3 showing comparatively good progress, though still uneven across forest types and geographies. The report also says some progress has been made on policies, strategies and institutions for sustainable forest management, as well as on forest-related monitoring and stakeholder participation.
But the financial picture remains troubling. The report says funding for sustainable forest management is still far below global needs and that diversifying sources of finance remains a challenge. It calls for stronger partnerships, better governance and greater access to innovative financing mechanisms if countries are to protect forests at scale.
The report also highlights persistent problems with illegal logging, fragmented institutions and weak cross-sector coordination. It says forest issues are often treated as secondary in land-use decisions, even though they are closely linked to climate, biodiversity, food security and economic resilience.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said forests are among the planet’s most vital natural assets because they support livelihoods, biodiversity and climate regulation. He warned that they face mounting threats and called for urgent measures to expand protected forests, increase funding and strengthen cooperation across sectors.
The report comes at a time when global forest governance is under pressure from compounding crises, including climate impacts, biodiversity loss and fiscal constraints. Yet it also points to signs of progress, including stronger national forest inventories, broader use of science and technology, and growing efforts by Indigenous Peoples and local communities to protect and restore forest landscapes.
The UN says the findings should serve as both a warning and a roadmap. If countries are to meet the Global Forest Goals by 2030, the report concludes, they will need scaled-up ambition, stronger institutions, more finance and sustained political commitment.
