Forests, nature, people and finance: A win-win opportunity?

The challenge of ecosystem restoration remains a pressing issue for the globe. Forests are home to most of the terrestrial biodiversity (75% of bird species, 68% of mammal species and about 60,000 tree species). Between 1990 and 2020, deforestation and forest degradation led to a decrease in the world’s forest area of around 178 million hectares, which is equivalent to the size of Libya, meaning that the opportunities for ecosystem restoration are very significant.
Enhancing the involvement of the forest sector in the conservation and restoration of forest ecosystems has the potential to have a positive impact on biodiversity and forest health, and in turn, on the sustainability of the companies’ own raw materials sourcing and commercial activities along the value chain.
This session will explore how the forest sector can increase their participation in ecosystem restoration to leverage their unique knowledge base and utilize its land area to advance environmental and societal interests. In particular, it will discuss opportunities for expanding the use of sustainable finance in the area of forest restoration for multiple outcomes.