Closing the forest ambition gap in NDCs

With 2030 fast approaching, countries must turn forest commitments into clear targets, credible finance and measurable action – or risk missing one of the most important climate and nature goals of this decade.

An assessment by Climate Focus and WWF of 84 updated national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs 3.0, shows clear signs of progress, yet also significant areas for improvement:

• Forest ambition remains critically low among NDCs 3.0 and is not aligned with the first Global Stocktake (GST) outcome decision mandate on deforestation. Only two NDCs explicitly commit to achieving zero deforestation by 2030, and only 10 NDCs reference paragraph 33 on ‘halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030’ from the first GST outcome decision. Only 29 NDCs set specific forest-related emission targets.
• Measurable quantitative targets for key actions are also uncommon: only 23 NDCs include targets for deforestation, 28 for degradation and 24 for sustainable forest management.
• When it comes to specific forest-related policy measures, sustainable forest management is the only widely integrated policy measure while other key measures are minimally considered.
• Considerations for underrepresented groups are relatively strong, with 78 NDCs mentioning gender and 61 referencing Indigenous Peoples and local communities, but mainly in the context of climate mitigation. That said, references to Indigenous Peoples are predominantly descriptive; most NDCs do not specify how Indigenous Peoples participated in NDC design or make references to Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
• Many NDCs 3.0 acknowledge synergies with other global policy goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), among others. This recognition and alignment across policy frameworks is essential for fostering coherence and maximizing the impact of climate action.
• Encouragingly, there is increased recognition of forests’ role in climate action since the previous round of NDCs, with significantly more NDCs 3.0 setting targets and policy measures for forests compared to their predecessors

Read the full assessment.