Tripling forest investments by 2030 critical for global well-being, UNEP warns

By Elias Hakizimana.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is calling on governments and investors worldwide to triple annual investments in forests by 2030, citing the immense benefits tropical forests provide for people and the planet.

Two UNEP reports released this week highlight the urgent need for action, showing that high-risk tropical forests are among the most valuable ecosystems—yet current funding falls far short of what is required to safeguard them.

“Forests are far more than carbon stores or wildlife habitats—they are the backbone of global food, water, and economic systems,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director. “Neglecting to invest in tropical forest protection diminishes their true value, particularly in countries balancing development pressures with conservation needs.”

High-value returns from high-risk forests

The first report, High-Risk Forests, High-Value Returns, estimates that protecting 391 million hectares of tropical forests—an area roughly the size of the European Union—would generate substantial benefits for human well-being.

Forests regulate water, preventing 2.3 million tonnes of nitrogen pollutants and 527 million tonnes of sediment from entering rivers each year. This safeguards reservoirs, supports hydropower and irrigation systems, and maintains rainfall patterns by recycling up to 14% of regional rainfall.

Forests also underpin food security, supporting pollinators that sustain the diets of around 10 million people annually. Millions of rural households depend on forests for energy, firewood, and income. Tropical forests further act as natural shields against extreme weather, preventing US$81 billion in annual disaster losses.

The report emphasizes that forest protection must go hand-in-hand with equitable development, ensuring that local communities who depend on these ecosystems also benefit.

Massive global funding gap

The second report, 2025 State of Finance for Forests: Unlock. Unleash., shows a glaring funding shortfall. In 2023, global forest financing reached only US$84 billion, mostly from domestic public sources, leaving a gap of US$216 billion annually to meet targets by 2030.

Meanwhile, harmful agricultural subsidies exceeding US$400 billion per year continue to drive deforestation, resulting in the loss of about 2.2 million hectares of forest annually.

UNEP stresses that redirecting capital away from deforestation-linked activities and prioritizing forest protection is the most cost-effective approach. Protecting forests would require just US$32 billion of additional funding by 2030 yet could secure 80% of the land needed to meet global targets.

“Tripling investments in forests is not just an environmental ambition,” Andersen added. “It is a development imperative that protects water, food, energy, and resilience for billions of people.”

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