Since the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) was adopted in 2014, progress on ending deforestation and restoring forest lands has not lived up to the level of ambition enshrined in its ten goals. Meanwhile, we continue to lose forests, savannas, grasslands and the wildlife that depend on them at a rapid rate.
Forest-dwelling wildlife populations have shrunk on average by more than half since 1970, and habitat loss and degradation, caused primarily by human activity, is responsible for 60 percent of all threats to forests and forest species.
We need a New Deal for Nature and People that recognizes the important role and value of forests and natural ecosystems – for biodiversity conservation, for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and for people’s lives, livelihoods and wellbeing.
This discussion paper, developed by WWF and Climate Focus, is intended to provide the basis for discussions at the 74th UN General Assembly and UN Climate Week 2019 in New York.
