Forests, grasslands, wetlands and other terrestrial ecosystems are essential to life on Earth. They provide homes for wildlife, store carbon, sustain livelihoods, purify water and supply food, medicine and other resources people depend on. But agricultural expansion, direct exploitation, pollution and other human pressures are putting these benefits — and human well-being — at risk while intensifying the climate and biodiversity crises.
Yet despite what’s at stake, global efforts to conserve these ecosystems are falling short. What will it take to change course and secure a more sustainable future for people and nature?
On October 27, we held for a high-level discussion marking the launch of new data and insights on the state of the world’s forests and land. The research identifies six critical shifts needed to conserve terrestrial ecosystems:
- Effectively halt deforestation and degradation
- Restore deforested and degraded ecosystems
- Sustainably manage ecosystems to mitigate climate change
- Sharply reduce pollution
- Halt the overexploitation of terrestrial species
Speakers explored what the latest evidence reveals about progress and setbacks, where action needs to accelerate, and what it will take to halt and reverse the loss of terrestrial ecosystems and species.
Moderator
- Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader of Nature Solutions, the Bezos Earth Fund
Research Insights
- Sophie Boehm, Senior Research Associate, Systems Change Lab, World Resources Institute
- Raychel Santo, Senior Food and Climate Research Associate, World Resources Institute
Panel Discussion
- Minnie Degawan, Managing Director, FSC Indigenous Foundation
- Frances Seymour, Senior Policy Advisor, Woodwell Climate Research Center
- Bernardo Strassburg, Founder and Executive Director of Science, International Institute for Sustainability
- Éliane Ubalijoro, Chief Executive Officer, Landscape Alliance