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Forests

Forests are home to as much as 90% of the world’s land-based animal and plant life. They directly provide food, shelter, fuel and a source of income to the 1.6 billion people whose livelihoods depend on them. And forests also benefit our environment by regulating the climate and water cycles and preventing soil erosion.

But our forests are in crisis. The world has lost half its forests, and only a tenth of what remains is protected. Each year we lose another 130,000 square kilometres - an area the size of England.

We’re working around the world to protect forests against the many threats they face - from illegal logging to climate change - and to secure their long-term future.

We work in a variety of ways. There’s hands-on involvement on the ground in lots of the forests we help protect (listed below), but we’re also very active behind the scenes, lobbying and negotiating with governments to improve legislation and planning, as well as persuading large and small businesses to adopt a sustainable approach to using forest resources.