Forests are a global public good. They stabilise the Earth’s climate, they provide the habitats of many diverse species of plants and animals, and they play a role in replenishing water resources. The international community has pledged to protect these precious ecosystems, but progress remains much too slow. Short-sighted business interests are driving destruction, and governance is mostly too weak to do something about it. Poor people are bearing the brunt, and indigenous groups are affected in particular.
