FORESTS FORWARD IMPACT REPORT
New report highlights how the private sector can be a positive force for forests
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Four million hectares of forest are benefiting from voluntary corporate action through Forests Forward, WWF's flagship programme for corporate leadership on forests. Our Impact Report, A Force for Nature, reveals that 26 leading companies and organizations from nine sectors are improving forest management or going beyond responsible sourcing to support forest conservation projects across the world. 

Report highlights

The report highlights how the private sector is showing leadership in forest management, responsible sourcing and financing forest landscape projects:
  • With the support of HP Inc., WWF and local Brazilian organizations have worked to restore more than 500 hectares of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and spearheaded efforts to improve the protection of three national parks totalling 52,000 hectares (p19).
  • In Viet Nam, WWF and IKEA have encouraged a responsible wood supply while supporting local communities by advancing FSC certification of over 24,000 hectares of acacia plantations, with more than 3,000 plantation owners, many of them smallholders, joining in (p21).
  • In Mexico, SIG is supporting WWF’s efforts to identify, restore and connect 750 hectares of critical forest corridors for jaguars; partner with local communities to improve forest management across 100,000 hectares; and help reduce human-wildlife conflict (p22).
  • Iconic global retailers such as IKEA, which in 2024 sourced wood that was 97% FSC certified or recycled, are raising the bar for transparency in sourcing, for example, by releasing a public global wood supply map – the first of its kind in the sector (p15).
  • FSC-certified tropical forest concessionaires such as Interholco in the Congo Basin are providing refuge for large threatened mammals and increasing the value of responsible forestry through accounting for ecosystem services (p13).
  • Local agroforestry associations in the Amazon (such as Manutata, RONAP and Candela, which produce Brazil nuts) are restoring degraded forests while supporting the livelihoods of local communities (p13).
  • With support from Kimberly-Clark and International Paper, local partners are strengthening land retention to conserve forests by supporting family forest owners in the southeast US (p26).
  • WWF Forests Forward tools and guides are helping companies understand impacts and source more responsibly (p28).

WWF’s Forests Forward partners are demonstrating that the private sector can be a force for nature. Together, our innovative approaches and positive impacts are proving that conserving forests is not only beneficial for the planet, but also a wise and sustainable business strategy.

- Dr Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International

Forests Forward Impact Portal

Transparency is a vital principle of Forests Forward. We aim to drive transparency and accountability in the private sector. 

Our public, map-based Impact Portal publicly showcases and the commitments, milestones, and achievements of all Forests Forward partners and related WWF projects.

Impact Portal

Explore our projects and partner milestones

GO TO PORTAL
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Rooted in science and monitoring.

Together with our private-sector partners and other stakeholders, Forests Forward strives to deliver lasting on-the-ground impact in some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems while respecting and involving local people.

For every activity, WWF is there, helping companies track and monitor their progress. So when ambitious goals are achieved, we can have the confidence to communicate and amplify this success far and wide, together.

Our approach is always science-based, and we set targets and objectives that are closely aligned with other recognized sustainability frameworks, such as:

Our impact at a glance
26
Forward-thinking companies and organizations taking action through Forests Forward
1.3 million hectares
Area of forests supported by Forests Forward partners through WWF landscape projects
20+
Forest landscape projects supported across the globe
2.7 million hectares
Area of tropical forest currently managed by Forests Forward partners
170+ million tonnes
Forest-based products produced by Forests Forward partners committed to responsible sourcing