Overview

• Global forest loss reached a record 30 million hectares in 2024, with 6.7 million hectares of tropical primary forests destroyed, nearly doubling 2023 levels.
• Wildfires accounted for nearly half of tropical forest loss for the first time, driven by El Niño and record heat, creating a dangerous climate feedback loop.
• Brazil experienced its worst drought in seven decades, losing 2.8 million hectares of primary forest, two-thirds of which were fire-related.
• While tropical forest loss surged in Latin America and parts of Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia reported declines due to fire prevention and conservation policies.
• The EU’s Deforestation Regulation, set to begin in December 2025, faces further delays as lawmakers push to reduce compliance burdens on businesses.