Private sector emerges as a key ally in forest conservation

Private sector emerges as a key ally in forest conservation

The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Forests Forward Impact Report, released on June 24, highlights 26 companies from nine industries working to improve forest management and support global conservation efforts.

A farmer working in his forest area in Quang Tri province. Source: WWF-Greater Mekong / FGS Production

Through Forests Forward, WWF’s flagship scheme for corporate leadership on forests, projects financed by private sector partners are helping conserve a total forest area of 1.3 million hectares in some of the world’s most vital and vulnerable landscapes through actions such as forest restoration.

An additional 2.67 million ha of tropical forest are benefiting from improved forest management measures implemented by forest management companies participating in Forests Forward. Responsible sourcing efforts implemented by partner companies are also resulting in additional improved forest management worldwide.

Companies participating in the programme have a considerable reliance on forests and the services and products they provide. They act upon voluntary ambitions related to responsible sourcing, improving forest management, and financing forest landscapes.

Of these, market participants - including leading retailers, manufacturers, and other downstream users, such as IKEA, SIG, and Sofidel - are delivering against responsible sourcing policies focused on avoiding deforestation and other unwanted sources, engaging with suppliers, and disclosing progress.

'Forest management' participants – including timber producers in the Congo Basin, Interholco, and CBG, and agroforestry cooperatives in the Peruvian Amazon, including Candela – are improving the management of tropical forest areas, 75 per cent of which are Forest Stewardship Councilcertified.

10 participant companies are supporting more than 20 landscape-level conservation projects with WWF, focusing on critical forests in the tropics. For example, HP Inc., IKEA and SIG are providing significant financial contributions to (among others): forest landscape restoration in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest; working with local communities to restore forest corridors for jaguars in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru; and helping advance responsible forest management with communities in Vietnam. Their funding of these forest landscape projects extends and complements voluntary action on responsible sourcing through the initiative.

Aerial view of acacia forests in Quang Tri province, Vietnam. Source: WWF-Greater Mekong / FGS Production

Kirsten Schuijt, director general, WWF International, said, "Our partners are demonstrating that the private sector can be a force for nature. Together, our innovative approaches and positive impacts are proving that conserving forests is not only beneficial for the planet, but also a wise and sustainable business strategy."

WWF’s Forests Forward programme, launched in 2021, builds upon 30 years of collaboration and innovation with the private sector to develop market-based solutions to forest loss and degradation. The programme now has 26 participants, with three new companies (Epson, WEPA and Nike) joining in early 2025, representing an expansion into Asia, Germany and other forest-risk commodities (including natural rubber), respectively.

With less than five years until the 2030 deadline for global goals on nature and climate, the Forests Forward Impact Report emphasises how critical the private sector is in filling finance gaps. It also outlines how forests play an outsized role in addressing the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and economic equality.

Le Viet Tam, Forest Programme director, WWF-Vietnam, said, "The Central Annamites Landscape is a biodiversity treasure and a vital source of life and livelihoods for millions of people. Protecting this landscape means preserving irreplaceable ecosystems and the services they provide, such as clean water, climate regulation, fertile soils, and natural protection against floods for people downstream. By partnering with the private sector, we can align economic growth with conservation goals, reducing deforestation, improving land-use practices, and promoting sustainable supply chains, therefore creating a lasting impact. Together, we can shift business-as-usual towards nature-positive models."

Under the Nature-based Solutions Origination Platform, WWF-Vietnam has consistently supported forestry companies across Central Vietnam to translate Sustainable Forest Management Plans into tangible impact, ensuring alignment with national policies and international standards, aiming for genuine environmental and social responsibility.

These efforts will reduce fragmentation, strengthen habitat connectivity, and enhance resilience to climate change. By 2035, more than 100,000 ha of natural forest are expected to be under improved management, with at least 800 ha restored, and an additional 30,000 ha progressing towards global certification.

Ulf Johansson, Global Raw Material Manager, Inter IKEA, said, "The whole forest industry must step up and share details about the wood they are using, where it is from and how the forest is managed. It is fundamental for sustainable development. For IKEA, it doesn’t end with our supply chain. We are proud to have supported WWF's conservation efforts over 23 years in a total of 22 countries, including long-term support for critical landscape activities and enabling new approaches to improve forest management."

VIR