GLF Forests 2025: Defining the Next Decade of Action
On 24–25 April, GLF Forests 2025 brought together over 2,000 experts, scientists, policymakers, and grassroots leaders in Bonn and online to chart the future of the world’s forests.
As Brazil prepares to host COP30 in the Amazon, the event highlighted urgent action needed to protect forests from deforestation and climate impacts.
Building on insights from COP29 and 30 years of CIFOR-ICRAF research, the conference laid the groundwork for a resilient, just, and productive future for forests.
About this session
The world’s forests stand at a crossroads. Rising global temperatures, deforestation and unsustainable land use threaten both biodiversity and the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people who depend on forests for survival. However, in the heart of these landscapes, communities are leading the charge for restoration, implementing innovative, locally-driven solutions. From the Andes and the Amazonian Basin to the Guinea forests of West Africa and Southeast Asia’s island forests, grassroots organizations are reviving ecosystems and strengthening social fabrics.
Faced with climate-related challenges such as water shortages, they’re integrating restoration with food security, economic empowerment and climate resilience through agroforestry, wildlife conservation and food–forest approaches. This session highlights the transformative efforts of GLFx chapters and Restoration Stewards working with forest-dependent communities to restore landscapes and redefine the future of forests.
