A local farmer in central Việt Nam introduces a log farm advancing FSC certification of plantations. WWF and IKEA have encouraged responsible wood supply while supporting local communities in Việt Nam earning the certification. — VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — WWF’s new Forests Forward Impact Report reveals that 26 leading companies from nine sectors are improving forest management or going beyond responsible sourcing to support forest conservation projects across the world.

Through Forests Forward, WWF’s flagship programme for corporate leadership on forests, WWF projects financed by private sector partners are helping conserve a total forest area of 1.3 million hectares in some of the world’s most vital and vulnerable landscapes through actions such as forest restoration. More than half of this total (approximately 700,000ha) are critical forest areas in the Asia-Pacific region.

An additional 2.67 million hectares of tropical forest are benefiting from improved forest management measures implemented by forest management companies participating in Forests Forward. Responsible sourcing efforts being implemented by partner companies are also translating into additional hectares of improved forest management across the globe.

WWF said global technology company Epson is the first Asian company to join the Forests Forward programme by building a three-year partnership with WWF-Japan, launched in 2023.

The deal contributes 1.6 million euros (US$1.88 million) to WWF’s forest conservation and restoration efforts at several deforestation fronts worldwide, including in Indonesia, the Greater Mekong, Australia, Brazil and Ghana.

Companies participating in WWF’s Forests Forward programme have considerable reliance on forests and the services and products they provide.

They act upon voluntary ambitions related to responsible sourcing. Leading retailers, manufacturers and other downstream users, such as IKEA, SIG and Sofidel, are delivering against responsible sourcing policies focused on avoiding deforestation and other unwanted sources, engaging suppliers and disclosing progress.

A log farm in the central highlands region of Việt Nam. WWF and IKEA have encouraged responsible wood supply while supporting local communities by advancing FSC certification of over 24,000ha of acacia plantations, with more than 3,000 plantation owners, many of them smallholders, joining in. — VNS Photo Công Thành

‘Forest management’ participants include timber producers in the Congo Basin, Interholco and CBG, and agroforestry cooperatives in the Peruvian Amazon, who are improving the management of tropical forest areas, 75 per cent of which are Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified.

It said 10 participant companies are supporting more than 20 landscape-level conservation projects with WWF, focusing on critical forests in the tropics. For example, HP Inc., IKEA and SIG are providing significant financial contributions to (among others): forest landscape restoration in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest; working with local communities to restore forest corridors for jaguars in Mexico, Brazil and Peru; and helping advance responsible forest management with communities in Việt Nam. Their funding of these forest landscape projects extends and complements voluntary action on responsible sourcing through the programme.

Dr Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF International, said: “WWF’s Forests Forward partners are demonstrating that the private sector can be a force for nature. Together, our innovative approaches and positive impacts are proving that conserving forests is not only beneficial for the planet, but also a wise and sustainable business strategy.”

WWF’s Forests Forward programme, launched in 2021, builds upon 30 years of collaboration and innovation with the private sector to develop market-based solutions to forest loss and degradation. The programme now has 26 participants, with three new companies (Epson, WEPA and Nike) joining in early 2025, representing an expansion into Asia, Germany and other forest-risk commodities (including natural rubber), respectively.

With less than five years until the 2030 deadlines for global goals on nature and climate, the Forests Forward Impact Report emphasises how critical the private sector is in filling finance gaps. It also outlines how forests play an outsized role in addressing the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and economic equality.

One of the key landscapes being conserved under the Forests Forward programme is the Central Annamites, spanning Việt Nam and Laos. This highly biodiverse region is not only a haven for unique wildlife but also a lifeline for subsistence communities and smallholder farmers who depend on the forest for their livelihoods.

Lê Viết Tâm, Forest Programme Director, WWF-Việt Nam, said: "The Central Annamites Landscape is a biodiversity treasure and a vital source of life and livelihoods for millions of people. Protecting this landscape means preserving irreplaceable ecosystems and the services they provide, such as clean water, climate regulation, fertile soils, and natural protection against floods for people downstream.

"By partnering with the private sector, we can align economic growth with conservation goals, reducing deforestation, improving land-use practices, and promoting sustainable supply chains, therefore creating a lasting impact. Together, we can shift business-as-usual toward nature-positive models."

Under the Nature-based Solutions Origination Platform, WWF-Việt Nam has consistently supported forestry companies across central Việt Nam to translate Sustainable Forest Management Plans into tangible outcomes, ensuring alignment with national policies and international standards, aiming for genuine environmental and social responsibility.

These efforts will reduce fragmentation, strengthen habitat connectivity and enhance resilience to climate change.

By 2035, more than 100,000ha of natural forest are expected to be under improved management, with at least 800 hectares restored, and an additional 30,000 hectares progressing toward global certification.

Ulf Johansson, Global Raw Material Manager, Inter IKEA, said: “The whole forest industry must step up and share the wood they are using, where it is from and how the forest is managed. It is fundamental for sustainable development. For IKEA, it doesn’t end with our own supply chain.

"We are proud to have supported WWF's conservation efforts over 23 years in a total of 22 countries, including long-term support for critical landscape programmes and enabling innovative new approaches to improve forest management.”

In Việt Nam, WWF and IKEA have encouraged a responsible wood supply while supporting local communities by advancing FSC certification of over 24,000ha of acacia plantations, with more than 3,000 plantation owners, many of them smallholders, joining in. In addition, Lowe's and Williams have also supported the Central Annamites Landscape in restoring habitat for elephant conservation. — VNS