Overview

• Global forest loss in 2024 reached 30 million hectares, the highest in two decades, with fires accounting for nearly half of the destruction.
• Tropical primary forest loss doubled to 6.7 million hectares, driven by extreme drought, heat, and El Niño, marking a dangerous climate feedback loop.
• Brazil experienced its worst year for forest loss since 2016, losing 2.8 million hectares of primary forest, two-thirds of which were fire-related.
• The European Union delayed its deforestation-free supply chain rules to December 2025, drawing criticism for undermining global deforestation pledges.
• Indonesia and Malaysia reported declines in forest loss due to effective fire prevention and stricter regulations, bucking the global trend.