We all need healthy forests. They help keep our climate stable, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and they regulate our water supply and improves its quality. They also provide a home to more than half of all species found on land – a rich variety of life that keeps so many natural systems running.

Over 1 billion people live in and around forests, depending on them for fuel, food, medicines and building materials. And all of us use wood in our daily lives: in fact, global demand for timber products is expected to more than triple over the next three decades.

But human impacts have already led to the loss of around 40% of the world’s forests. And today, an area the size of a football pitch is still being destroyed every second. Protecting and restoring forests has never been more urgent.

Every year, 7.6 million hectares of forest is lost, making way for activities like cattle pasture, palm oil plantations, soy fields or roads. Most of this is happening in tropical regions, where there is a particularly rich variety of life.

Even larger areas are suffering from degradation – where the forest remains, but its richness and health is in decline. Threats include illegal and unsustainable logging, overharvesting of wood for fuel and charcoal, small-scale farming, hunting, forest fires, and pests and diseases.

All this threatens the survival of countless species, fuels climate change, jeopardizes people’s livelihoods and undermines the vital services that forests provide.

With better protection, forests can continue to provide a welcome home for wildlife and resources for indigenous people and local communities. And, globally, they can keep providing us all with essentials such as fresh air and clean water. With better management, we can boost timber production without damaging the local environment. And with better planning, we can produce enough food for growing populations without having to convert forests to farmland.

We can even go further, by replanting and restoring forests that have been destroyed or degraded. This can help combat climate, extend and reconnect wildlife habitats, and reduce problems like flooding and erosion.

There’s never been greater support for stopping and starting to reverse the loss of forests. We aim to achieve big things over the next few years: by 2030, we’re working to end deforestation, protect or improve the management of half the world’s forests, and begin restoring forest landscapes across an area larger than India.

Of course, we can’t do this alone – so we’re working together with many partners to make things happen on a big scale. That means supporting local communities to take control of their forest resources, working with multinational businesses to ensure their supply chains are forest-friendly, influencing government climate and development plans, and encouraging investment in restoring forests.

Together, we can ensure forests continue to provide for people and nature, now and for generations to come.