United Nations has released the Global Forest Goals (GFG) Report 2026

United Nations has released the Global Forest Goals (GFG) Report 2026, highlighting that global efforts towards sustainable forest management and forest-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remain inadequate to achieve the 2030 targets.

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¨     The Global Forest Goals Report 2026 is the second global assessment report on progress towards achieving the six Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets under the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) 2017–2030.

¨     The report has been prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).

¨     The assessment is primarily based on Voluntary National Reports (VNRs) submitted by 48 countries representing nearly 51% of the global forest area, along with data from FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2025.

¨     The report was launched during the 21st Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF21) held at the UN Headquarters in New York in May 2026.

Global Forest Goals (GFGs)

¨     The Global Forest Goals (GFGs) were adopted under the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) 2017–2030 as a universal voluntary framework for sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of all types of forests.

¨     The framework consists of 6 Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be achieved by 2030.

¨     The GFGs are closely linked with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction, food security, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable livelihoods. 

Key Findings of the Report

¨     Overall Progress Across Global Forest Goals

According to the assessment, out of the 26 Global Forest Goal (GFG) targets:

¨     7 targets are broadly met,

¨     17 are partially achieved, and

¨     2 targets – increasing forest area by 3% worldwide (target 1.1) and eradicating extreme poverty for all forest-dependent people (target 2.1) – are off track.

Global Forest Loss Continues

¨     Global forest area declined by more than 40 million hectares between 2015 and 2025 (from 4.18 billion hectares in 2015 to 4.14 billion hectares in 2025), including the loss of nearly 16 million hectares of primary forests.

¨     South America recorded the steepest decline, losing 4.1 million hectares annually, while Africa lost nearly 3 million hectares every year.