Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use

The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use is an international political commitment announced at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held in Glasgow, Scotland, on 2 November 2021. It represents a collective pledge by world leaders to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while promoting sustainable development and inclusive rural transformation. The Declaration emphasises the central role of forests in addressing climate change, conserving biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods across the globe.

Background

Forests are vital for regulating the Earth’s climate, storing carbon, preserving biodiversity, and maintaining ecological balance. However, large-scale deforestation and land degradation have accelerated due to agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, and unsustainable land-use practices. Recognising these challenges, the Glasgow Declaration emerged as a global framework to build upon earlier efforts such as the New York Declaration on Forests (2014) and to enhance coordination between nations, financial institutions, and civil society in tackling the drivers of forest loss.
The Declaration was unveiled during COP26 as a landmark agreement bringing together countries, businesses, and organisations to commit to transformative action in land-use and forestry sectors. Its approach goes beyond protecting tropical forests to include all forest ecosystems, acknowledging their importance for both developed and developing nations.

Key Commitments

The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration outlines several key commitments to achieve its objectives:

• Halting and reversing forest loss and land degradation by 2030, ensuring a net gain in forest cover globally.
• Supporting sustainable development through policies that promote forest conservation while enabling rural communities to prosper.
• Recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, acknowledging their traditional knowledge and stewardship of forest ecosystems.
• Reforming agricultural and trade policies to prevent practices that contribute to deforestation and degradation.
• Mobilising public and private finance to protect and restore forests, with donor countries pledging billions of dollars to assist developing nations in sustainable land-use transition.
• Improving monitoring, transparency, and accountability to track progress and ensure that commitments are translated into measurable outcomes.

Participation and Global Reach

More than 140 countries—collectively covering over 90 per cent of the world’s forests—signed the Declaration. This broad participation included major forest-rich nations as well as key consumer and donor countries. The initiative aimed to link the interests of countries across the global supply chain, addressing both the production and consumption sides of deforestation.
The Declaration recognises that sustainable forest management is not only an environmental necessity but also an economic and social opportunity. By promoting inclusive rural development and restoration of degraded lands, it seeks to align conservation with human welfare and food security objectives.

Implementation Strategies

The success of the Declaration depends on integrated implementation at multiple levels. National governments are expected to:

• Enact or strengthen laws and regulations protecting forests and curbing illegal logging.
• Integrate land-use planning and forest conservation into broader economic development frameworks.
• Promote deforestation-free supply chains through corporate partnerships and certification schemes.
• Invest in research, monitoring, and technology to improve forest management and restoration.
• Encourage community-led conservation through incentives and participatory governance models.

In addition to national efforts, international collaboration plays a crucial role. Financial institutions and private sector actors are expected to redirect investments away from deforestation-linked activities and towards sustainable production and restoration projects.

Importance and Potential Impact

If fully implemented, the Glasgow Declaration could deliver profound environmental and socioeconomic benefits. Forests act as major carbon sinks, and halting deforestation could avoid billions of tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Restoring degraded lands also enhances biodiversity, improves soil fertility, stabilises water cycles, and supports local economies through eco-friendly livelihoods.
The Declaration contributes directly to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to climate action, life on land, poverty reduction, and responsible consumption and production. Furthermore, it complements other global initiatives such as the Paris Agreement by tackling one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions—land-use change.

Criticism and Challenges

While the Declaration is widely welcomed as a landmark achievement, it faces criticism and challenges in implementation:

• Non-binding nature: The commitments are voluntary and lack legal enforcement mechanisms, making compliance dependent on political will.
• Slow policy integration: Translating global pledges into domestic legislation and tangible actions remains inconsistent across signatory countries.
• Financial shortfalls: The funds pledged are insufficient compared to the trillions required for comprehensive forest protection and sustainable land-use transition.
• Monitoring and verification difficulties: Measuring forest degradation and ensuring transparency in reporting continue to pose significant technical challenges.
• Competing development pressures: Economic incentives often still favour agricultural expansion and resource extraction over forest conservation.

Despite these challenges, the Declaration represents a critical step in aligning political ambition with scientific necessity.

Relevance for Developing Nations

For developing countries, especially those with significant forest resources, the Glasgow Declaration offers both challenges and opportunities. It highlights the need to balance environmental protection with developmental needs. Many nations can benefit from international financial assistance, capacity building, and technology transfer to enhance forest governance and restoration.
The recognition of Indigenous and local community rights is particularly important for these regions, where community-led conservation has proven effective in maintaining forest cover and biodiversity. The Declaration also encourages sustainable agricultural practices and diversification of rural economies to reduce dependency on deforestation-driven land use.

Outlook

As the world moves toward the 2030 target, the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use stands as a symbol of collective intent to safeguard one of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Its effectiveness will depend on robust national implementation, strong international cooperation, and sustained financial commitment.