Twenty-six companies are protecting four million hectares of forest through World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF)’s Forests Forward program, showing that businesses can make money while saving nature, according to a new impact report released this week. The companies come from nine different sectors and are working on forest conservation projects around the world. WWF says 1.3 million hectares are getting direct conservation help, while another 2.7 million hectares of tropical forest are getting better management from timber companies in the program.
Forest loss hit record levels in 2024, making corporate action more urgent than ever. More than half the world’s forests are managed partly or completely for business purposes, so companies have a big role in stopping deforestation. The program launched in 2021 and added three new companies this year: Epson, WEPA and Nike.
The participating companies fall into three groups: retailers like IKEA and Sofidel that buy forest products responsibly, timber producers like Interholco in the Congo Basin that manage forests better, and companies like HP and SIG that fund conservation projects. IKEA now sources 97% of its wood from certified or recycled sources and released the first public map of its global wood supply chain. In Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, HP helped restore over 500 hectares and protect three national parks covering 52,000 hectares. “WWF’s Forests Forward partners are showing that the private sector can be a force for nature,” said Dr Kirsten Schuijt, WWF International’s director general.
The report comes as businesses face growing pressure to address climate change and biodiversity loss. Companies that set science-based targets for nature tend to see their businesses do better too.
WWF wants more companies to join and governments to stop subsidies that harm forests while rewarding good forest management. With less than five years until 2030 climate goals, private sector funding is needed to fill the gaps.
