COP30 Roadmap Charts Path to Halt Deforestation by 2030

The COP30 Presidency has launched a comprehensive roadmap to halt and reverse global deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago unveiled the plan in Brasília on November 3, 2026, framing it as a practical guide that uses existing national and international instruments.

André Corrêa do Lago said: "It’s all processes that already exist. All instruments that already exist. That’s one of the best conclusions: everyone can start acting today." The roadmap is voluntary and non-prescriptive, offered as a contribution from the presidency rather than a document for UN negotiation. It aims to cover all forest types, from tropical to boreal.

The plan identifies five core action areas and proposes a five-step implementation cycle.

Progress and Finance Gaps

Global deforestation fell by 15% in 2023, the largest recent decline, driven by Brazil's enforcement against illegal cattle ranching. Despite this progress, the financial challenge is immense. The UN estimates $84.5 billion was spent on forest protection in 2023. Annual forest finance must rise to more than $300 billion by 2030 to meet the target.

Nearly 90% of current forest finance comes from domestic government budgets in developing countries. International public finance represented a mere 3.4% of recorded spending in 2023.

Expert Reactions

Conservation groups welcomed the roadmap's fundamentals but stressed the need for urgent action. WWF International's Damian Fleming stated the roadmap gets fundamentals right but stresses the need for speed. Anders Haug Larsen of Rainforest Foundation Norway said the roadmap can unite governments, Indigenous Peoples, investors and existing initiatives.

The roadmap is not an official UN document but is designed to guide implementation of existing COP28 targets. It integrates with initiatives like the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, launched in Belém in 2025.

Building on Brazil's Success

The roadmap builds on Brazil's success in achieving record-low deforestation levels. It identifies the 2028 UN Global Stocktake as a key milestone for reviewing forest policies. The subsequent COPs in Antalya (COP31) and beyond will continue the process.

Long-term data shows annual deforestation has declined from 17.6 million hectares in the 1990-2000 period to 10.9 million hectares between 2015 and 2025. The problem remains substantial. Tropical forests, which account for 45% of global forest area, suffered 88% of all deforestation recorded from 1990 to 2025.

The plan also addresses the less visible challenge of forest degradation, where forests lose carbon storage capacity while remaining standing. It proposes using existing COP decisions to improve forest information systems, strengthen technical assistance, combat transnational environmental crime, and promote sustainable trade incentives. The roadmap will be reviewed during the 2028 UN Global Stocktake to assess progress toward the 2030 targets.