State of Finance for Forests

The first "State of Finance for Forests (SFF) report: Unlock. Unleash. Realizing forest potential requires tripling investments in forests by 2030" provides a global overview of public and private forest finance in 2023, comparing current flows with the investments needed to realize forests’ potential to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.

It integrates key private finance channels and nature-related asset classes such as certified commodity supply chains, impact investing, carbon and biodiversity markets, philanthropic funding, and private capital mobilized through public finance. The report finds that forests remain significantly underfunded: annual investment must increase from US$84 billion in 2023 to US$300 billion by 2030 and US$498 billion by 2050, leaving an annual gap of about US$216 billion.

Author

UN Environment Programme

Date

Database

Learning materials

Thematic Areas

Agroforestry
Afforestation and reforestation
Biodiversity conservation
Climate change adaptation
Climate change mitigation
Disaster risk reduction
Forest management certification
Forest monitoring
Forest products
Forest restoration and rehabilitation
Governance and law enforcement
Land rights and tenure
Nature-based solutions
Protected areas

Type of resource

Report
Assessment

Financing Instruments

Biodiversity offsets / credits
Blended finance
Bonds
Carbon markets
Debt reduction
Forest Funds
Grants
Loans
National budget allocations
Other innovative finance
Payment for Ecosystem Services
Impact financing
Private investment
REDD+
Results-based finance
Subsidies and fiscal incentives

Actors

Academic, scientific and research institutions
Businesses
Donors
Financial institutions
Governments
Indigenous peoples
International organizations
Local communities
Non-governmental / Non-profit organizations

Sectors

Food and agriculture
Buildings and infrastructure
Forestry and land use
Industry and trade
Rural development
Technology and innovation
Tourism
Water resources

Geographic Location

Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe
Oceania

Language

English