The first message that greeted visitors to the UN Climate Conference in Belém read, in Portuguese, “É hora da floresta!” – in English, “It is the time of the forest!” Remarkably, in the decade since the Paris Agreement was reached, global action has not lived up to what this straightforward statement implies or the commitment it signals.

Forests and biodiversity are our natural insurance against climate change. Yet across tropical regions, land-use change – mainly deforestation and forest degradation – remains the largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions and the primary cause of biodiversity loss. The conversion of forests to agriculture and infrastructure continues to release billions of tonnes of CO₂ every year.

Forests should be a cornerstone of climate action, not a side issue. Ecosystem protection and restoration can deliver up to one-third of the cost-effective mitigation needed by 2030, while simultaneously building resilience and supporting livelihoods. Yet, with only 4% of international climate finance supporting forests, climate finance flows fail to reflect the importance this issue.

Ideas for change

The world’s tropical countries – which are the world’s hosts for more than 80% of global biodiversity – should prioritize forest conservation and zero deforestation as the cornerstone of climate action.  

High-income countries elsewhere must step up to be part of the solution. They have a responsibility to transform their consumption patterns as part of the climate solution. Consumer choices and corporate sourcing decisions are among the most powerful levers for systemic change. Opening markets for biodiversity-friendly products, rewarding sustainability in global supply chains, and reforming trade incentives would demonstrate real reciprocity and coherence with conservation efforts.

A consumer-education campaign could drive a “responsible consumption revolution” – by which I mean aligning public awareness with the true value of nature. Informed citizens can drive the transition towards economies that regenerate ecosystems instead of exhausting them. This means investing in transparency, traceability, and systems that reward quality, sustainability, and fair trade – and creating incentives and disincentives for excessive and unsustainable consumption.

Three priorities

To begin to change current patterns, international finance, technology cooperation, and policy support should prioritize three investment fronts:

1. Conservation and sustainable use of nature. Strengthen local and Indigenous governance systems, which have proven to be the most effective custodians of forests. Generate incentives to conserve standing forests.
2. Restoration of degraded ecosystems. Scale up multifunctional landscapes, agroforestry, and restoration through public-private partnerships.
3. Bio-based enterprises. Create enabling conditions for bio-businesses that link conservation with innovation and income generation, such as sustainable tourism, pharmaceuticals, bio-cosmetics, bio-materials, bio-remediation, and payments for ecosystem services.

These priorities are not only environmental imperatives – they are economic and social opportunities. A sustainable bioeconomy can turn conservation into a driver of inclusive development.

Making such changes requires clear targets, monitoring frameworks, and accountability mechanisms. Many existing commitments remain voluntary and vague. A decade after Paris, the world needs measurable goals and binding actions to protect nature as climate infrastructure. Though not a perfect mechanism, the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), an initiative led by Brazil and tropical countries, offers a way to start paying for standing forest areas.

Protecting forests is not merely about carbon storage. It is a key element of justice for communities that earn their livelihoods from standing forests and whose conservation offers the world a model of shared prosperity.

We must reset our collective priorities. The path forward is clear: align climate ambition with the protection and restoration of ecosystems. Recognize forests not as passive carbon sinks, but as living economies that sustain life, identity, and hope – for us all.