Grace Wong, Associate Professor and project leader of FairFrontiers at RIHN contributed as an author in the IUFRO report, International forests governance: a critical review of trends, drawbacks, and new approaches, launched on 6 May 2024. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is a non-profit and non-governmental worldwide network of 15,000 forest scientists across 120 countries, who work together to enhance the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees. The findings from the report provide actionable insights for land use and climate policymakers to spur the implementation of just and effective forest policies.

Assoc. Professor Wong is the lead author for Chapter 3 (The Forest-related finance landscape and potential for just investments), as well as contributing author for Chapters 2 and 6. Project members and partners Maria Brockhaus, Moira Moeliono, Muhammad Alif K. Sahide, Gordon John Thomas, and Helena Varkkey also contributed as authors.

Key messages from the Report

The new study reveals that the success of international forest governance to slow down deforestation remains limited and hard to measure. Although there has been some progress in reducing the global rates of tropical deforestation, there is still a rising sense of crisis over climate change, biodiversity loss and increasing social and economic inequalities.

The increasing urgency of the climate crisis has influenced the commodification of forests for their carbon sequestration potential. This has led to the rise of new markets for carbon and biodiversity that often focus on short-term economic gains over long-term sustainability and justice. Finance that includes philanthropic and community-led mechanisms offer a just alternative, but so far, have played a limited role.

In response to the challenges of international forest governance, the report calls on policymakers to value forests as more than carbon sinks, prioritise long-term market-based investments and ensure a just and sustainable future for the communities that depend on them (IUFRO).

Comment from Assoc. Prof. Wong

“This work is a critical examination of the governance structures related to forest landscapes and how they are evolving over the past 20 years. Chapter 3 in particular looks at the different sources of forest finance, the increasingly complex financialization of 'sustainable' forest management and what might be the potential for just finance of current forest finance trends. In summary, this report questions the equity elements of forest governance and flows of finance within, questions which are very much at the core of our ongoing FairFrontiers project research.”

Media coverage

The report was featured internationally in EU, UK, USA, Africa and Latin American media outlets, including BBC, Forbes, AFP, Nature, Financial Times and more. Authors of the report were featured in 10 media briefings and commentary, and the report was covered by a total 114 articles, 44 of which are unique (as of May 2023, IUFRO).

Sample list of articles:

・Agence France-Presse (AFP): Market-based schemes not reducing deforestation, poverty: report

・African Business: “Financialisation” of Africa’s forests is driving inequality, says report

・Forbes: Forestry Governance Too Fixated On Carbon Sequestration, Study Warns

Publication information

Title: International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Report - International forests governance: a critical review of trends, drawbacks, and new approaches

Authors: Sarah Ali, Bas Arts, Samuel Assembe-Mvondo, Stibniati Atmadja, Michael Böcher, Maria Brockhaus,  Indah Waty Bong, Sarah L. Burns, Daniel A. Cordova-Pineda, Peter Edwards, Hannah Ehrlichmann, Rafaella  Ferraz Ziegert, Alexandru Giurca, Evgenia Gordeeva, Caitlin Hafferty, Mark Hirons, Gordon John Thomas,  Daniela Kleinschmit, Eric Mensah Kumeh, Niak Sian Koh, Ahmad Maryudi, Constance L. McDermott, Julián  D. Mijailoff, Moira Moeliono, Dodik Nurrochmat, Franklin Obeng-Odoom, Mi Sun Park, Niina Pietarinen,  Helga Pülzl, Muhammad Alif K. Sahide, Metodi Sotirov, Richard Sufo Kankeu, Helena Varkkey, Alizée Ville,  Georg Winkel, Grace Y. Wong, and Doris Wydr
*Authors in bold are FairFrontiers project members and partners.

Editors: Daniela Kleinschmit, Christoph Wildburger, Nelson Grima, and Brendan Fisher

Publisher: IUFRO
Volume 43
Peer reviewed.
Year: 2024
Page no: 164
ISBN: 978-3-903345-25-6

Along with the Report, a Policy Brief that includes key messages for policymakers was published. Both the report and policy brief can be found here:
https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/follow-up-studies/international-forest-governance-2024/

About IUFRO

The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is a non-profit and non-governmental worldwide network of 15,000 forest scientists across 120 countries, who work together to enhance the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees. Founded in 1892 IUFRO is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The 26th IUFRO World Congress will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, in June this year.