Global deforestation slowed in 2025 but Brazil’s election could undo “fragile” gains

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on Climate Home News or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Global deforestation slowed in 2025, with forest loss falling 15% compared with 2024, marking the strongest annual improvement of the decade
• The progress was driven largely by Latin American governments tightening action against forest clearing
• However, the gains remain fragile, with political shifts and the potential impacts of a strong El Niño threatening to reverse the trend

🔭 The context: In 2021, 145 countries pledged at COP26 in Glasgow to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030
• Despite last year's improvement, the world remains substantially off track to meet that commitment
• Progress in Latin America has been offset by continued deforestation in Africa, highlighting uneven enforcement and the difficulty of sustaining forest protection across regions
• Brazil's upcoming election could prove particularly consequential for the future direction of forest policy

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Forests store carbon, support biodiversity and regulate rainfall, making their protection essential to limiting climate change and ecosystem degradation
• Continued forest loss releases stored carbon and weakens natural carbon sinks, while El Niño-related heat and drought could increase pressure on vulnerable forests

⏭️ What’s next: Governments must maintain enforcement, strengthen forest-protection policies and address the economic drivers of clearing if the 2030 target is to remain achievable
• Brazil's political direction and the severity of El Niño-related conditions will be important factors in determining whether the recent slowdown becomes a lasting trend

💬 One quote: The report describes recent progress as “fragile” gains, underscoring the risk that political and climatic pressures could reverse the improvement

📈 One stat: 7 million hectares of forest were lost globally in 2025 — an area roughly the size of Ireland — despite a 15% decline from the previous year

Subscribe to our free newsletters to never miss a beat in sustainability.

The world needs sustainability knowledge. At illuminem, no interest group or shareholder can influence our work. Thank you for supporting our mission to make high-quality and independent sustainability information free for all. Every contribution helps. Thanks for donating today