Since 2000, the Global Forest Coalition (GFC) has worked to advance rights-based and ecosystem-centred solutions to deforestation and forest degradation. What began as an informal coalition of Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations, social movements and NGOs has grown into a global network spanning 74 countries—uniting diverse rights-holders and allies to address the structural drivers of forest loss, including colonialism, patriarchy, gender inequality and corporate power.
GFC’s 2024 Annual Report reflects on a year marked by profound global instability—from the war in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza to militarisation in the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the rise of right-wing political ideologies worldwide. These dynamics have shrunk civic space and diverted attention from urgently needed climate and biodiversity action. At the same time, the growing corporate capture of international climate and biodiversity negotiations has promoted market-based “false solutions” such as carbon trading and biodiversity offsets—approaches that fail to tackle the root causes of deforestation and often deepen social injustices.
Despite these challenges, GFC continued to strengthen community-led, gender-just forest governance. Flagship initiatives such as the Community Conservation Resilience Initiative (CCRI) and the Women2030 programme elevated the leadership of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and women in biodiversity and climate policy spaces. In 2024 alone, GFC organised eight side events across its four campaigns, 11 press conferences and 12 webinars, amplifying grassroots perspectives and challenging harmful policy approaches.
The coalition also brought community voices to key global forums, including CBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia, and UNFCCC COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan—advocating for rights-based, gender-responsive solutions rooted in lived experience and traditional knowledge.
As the report makes clear, GFC’s strength lies in connecting grassroots realities with global policy processes—ensuring that those most affected by deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate change are at the centre of decision-making.
We invite you to read the full GFC 2024 Annual Report to learn more about the coalition’s campaigns, achievements and strategic priorities for the year ahead.
👉 Download the full report (.pdf) and explore how community-led solutions are shaping a more just and sustainable future for forests and peoples worldwide.
