Forests

Forests are vital for the health of our planet, providing a home for many indigenous peoples and a habitat for some of the world’s richest wildlife as well as critical ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, food security and water services. As the world grapples with the growing threat of forest fires and pandemics, it is also critical to acknowledge the important role forests play in mitigating climate change and preventing the spread of diseases.

Yet forest destruction is happening at an alarming pace and scale. Every year, up to 15 billion trees are now being cut down across the world, driven by factors including the expansion of agricultural land, infrastructure developments, mining and illegal logging. Forest fires are also increasing in frequency and intensity, causing irreversible damage to wildlife, ecosystems and the climate.

With your support, our work is helping protect forests around the world, in turn supporting the people and wildlife that depend on them and providing a vital tool against the climate crisis.

A trillion reasons to hope

Around the world, incredible forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. As signs of Earth’s climate crisis become unavoidable, the tree is one of nature’s most effective tools in the fight to reduce carbon emissions. Our vision is to protect and restore one trillion trees by 2050 and create a world where forests are expanding rather than shrinking. A world where both people and nature thrive.

Our vision is simple but powerful, and you can play your part in making it happen by supporting Trillion Trees – our joint venture with BirdLife International and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

One trillion trees will store an estimated 36-50 gigatonnes of carbon. That’s four times the amount released annually through human activity. To achieve our vision, we’re leveraging our collective experience to bring together governments, businesses and local communities and support forest protection and restoration where it is needed most. Our science-led approach has shown that protecting and planting the right trees in the right places has the power to conserve biodiversity, sustain ecosystems, and lift people out of poverty and food insecurity.

Since the launch of Trillion Trees in 2017, we have supported the protection of 12.5 billion trees and the restoration of 1.5 billion trees across 19 countries around the world – and counting. But there is much more to be done. You can play a crucial role in our major global initiative, and ensure Trillion Trees creates a legacy of protection and restoration, transforming the fate of the most vital, diverse and life-sustaining forests in the world.

To find out how you can support Trillion Trees and protect and restore our forests, please email philanthropy@wwf.org.uk or call us at (+44) 01483 412424.