United Nations (UN) Global Forest Goals Report 2026 identifies fuelwood demand as major driver of forest loss

Key facts

• The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat released the Global Forest Goals Report 2026.
• The report was launched during the 21st session of the UNFF and revealed that the world lost over 40 million hectares of forests and 16 million hectares of primary forests between 2015 and 2025.
• Global forest cover decreased to 4.14 billion hectares by 2025, representing an annual net loss of 4.12 million hectares with the steepest declines recorded in South America and Africa.
• Agricultural expansion and rising demand for woodfuel, including fuelwood and charcoal, were identified as the primary drivers of global forest loss and degradation.
• Although 91 countries pledged to restore 190 million hectares of forests, only 44 million hectares were restored by 2025, with Asia accounting for 31 million hectares of the progress.