Call to Action on Forests and Climate

The Cities4Forests Call to Action on Forests and Climate is a declaration by more than 50 cities across six continents enjoining governments, companies, and financial institutions to urgently ramp up policies and investments to conserve, restore and sustainably manage inner, nearby, and faraway forests.

Opportunity

Cities across the world increasingly recognize how inner, nearby, and faraway forests affect their residents, with impacts ranging from protection from disaster events to health benefits. In response, many are investing in all scales of forests to meet their residents’ needs. They are increasing tree cover in their urban spaces. Some are conserving and restoring forests in nearby watersheds. Some cities purchase products that do not harm faraway forests.

But their actions will only go so far. Ongoing forest loss worldwide continues to put cities and their residents at risk of losing their property, health, and even their lives. To truly address global deforestation and forest degradation, all actors who have an impact on forests must do their part.

Project Description

Mayors and leading officials in 58 cities worldwide have signed the Call to Action and urge the following:

• All governments to develop and implement strong domestic policies to protect, restore, and sustainably manage forests within their territories.
• Governments of developed nations to offer trade and financial incentives to protect and restore forests, especially those within the tropics.
• Governments of developed nations to aim for sustainable agricultural productivity that relieves pressure on forests, and reform policies that harm forests.
• Financial institutions to avoid investing in projects that cause deforestation and invest instead in nature-based solutions for forest conservation and restoration, and deforestation-free agriculture.
• Companies to ensure their supply chains do not cause deforestation and choose nature-based solutions in addressing climate change and business challenges.

In addition to signing the declaration, many of these cities have developed their own policies and projects on behalf of forests and nature. Explore these cities and their stories here.