Because palm oil production is a major driver of deforestation in the humid tropics, it poses potential reputational risks to companies associated with it. But how should businesses trace palm oil in their supply chains? One way is to look at palm oil mills.
In just one year, Initiative 20x20 has secured commitments to restore 27.7 million hectares of land by 2020—an area the size of the United Kingdom —with private impact investors earmarking $730 million to support restoration projects in the region.
Deforestation continues to be recognized as a key source of greenhouse gas emissions that must be addressed as part of the overall package coming out of COP21.
More than ever, governments, companies and civil society organizations are committing to ambitious goals to protect the world’s remaining forests and combat emissions from deforestation.
GFW Climate shows that between 2001 and 2013, greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation across the world’s tropical forests were larger than Russia’s annual emissions. And that's just one finding of many.
Forests, which cover about one-third of the land on Earth, are an often under-appreciated resource for addressing climate change. But this year, things could be different.
The Malaysian state of Sarawak was once home to one of Asia’s most biologically diverse tropical rainforests. That was until a technical report by a British aristocrat initiated 25 years of support for a disastrous forest management program that continues to this day.
Satellite data reveals that concessions cover more than half the Malaysian state of Sarawak, often overlapping with sensitive intact forests that are being degraded at one of the highest rates in the world.
A recent government audit found evidence of timber laundering, where exporters make illegally logged wood appear to be legitimately harvested by concocting “ghost trees” – trees that never existed, except on paper.
More than 8 million acres of the U.S. landscape have burned this year. Global Forest Watch provides insights on where they're happening, and how they compare to previous fire seasons.
From drones to infrared sensors to crowdsourcing applications, forest defenders are increasingly turning to technology to stop illegal logging.
Fires from this year alone have tripled Indonesia's annual emissions.
How can open government accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda? One overlooked answer is “forests.”
Indonesia's fires are truly out of control, with huge repercussions for the economy, climate and public health. It's a topic that should be high on the agenda when President Obama and Indonesia President Joko Widodo meet this week.
An interactive StoryMap provides a visual look at the Yudja, one of many indigenous groups who sustainably manage Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
The largest hardwood flooring retailer in the United States is charged with importing illegally harvested timber from areas including forests in far eastern Russia.
The land and forest fires burning across Indonesia spiked to historic highs this month, with officials across the country pledging to investigate the perpetrators. A new campaign from Tomnod and WRI’s Global Forest Watch platform allows people everywhere to aid in the investigation.
Fire alerts in Indonesia have spiked dramatically in recent days, surging even higher than the crisis-level outbreaks of June 2013, March 2014 and November 2014. Satellite data from Global Forest Watch reveals where they're burning.
Thirty percent of Indonesia’s territories have been handed over to private companies as concessions, with many of them overlapping with indigenous lands. Here are three ways Indonesia can strengthen land rights for local communities while also benefiting government, businesses and the environment.
Resource-strapped law enforcement agencies and companies with complex supply chains struggle to curb illegally sourced wood. That's where DNA analysis and other advanced technologies can play a role.