9 in 10 people view forest action as critical to fight climate change.
A staggering majority of those surveyed (86%) in a polling conducted in 17 countries* across five continents say that protecting forests is critical in the fight against climate change, and want their governments to do more to address deforestation (82%).
The outcome of the polling — commissioned by Greenpeace International and conducted by Opinium — is a wake up call for country leaders meeting at COP30 in Brazil.
The results demonstrate that there is overwhelming support for governments to commit to strong and urgent measures to end deforestation and enact forest protection with the support of Indigenous communities, who are seen as the most trustworthy forest protectors. These beliefs are consistently held across age groups and genders.
When responding to who to trust to protect forests, respondents place confidence in Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities the most (78%), well above national governments (49%) or corporations (42%). 75% agree that Indigenous Peoples should receive funding to protect forests, although support varies by country.
Over four in five respondents think that companies who contribute to deforestation should be held accountable by governments, who in turn, should strengthen enforcement and punish environmental crimes. Trust in corporations to protect forests is very low across all countries polled, with the exceptions of Kenya (74%), Colombia (63%) and Germany (61%).
Respondents want to see their governments increasingly tackling deforestation. The polling results indicate that global cooperation and commitments to end deforestation are seen to have the potential to provide significant protection against deforestation. The most supported actions to achieve results were for countries to work together on international agreements to end deforestation (77%), and to commit to a new action plan to halt the destruction of forests and other ecosystems (75%).
Although there is broad support for almost all measures to protect against deforestation, backing is highest in countries which have historically been more impacted, like Indonesia, Kenya and Malaysia. Support for most measures is lower in the USA and South Korea compared to other countries, but still a large majority of respondents are backing them, while 78% of participants in the Global South believe that global agreements can significantly help protect against deforestation.
Greenpeace forest action demands to global leaders at COP30
This overwhelming public support sends a powerful message to governments ahead of COP30, which takes place for the first time in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Governments need to listen to their people and act on their moral, legal and political responsibilities to end deforestation in order to hold on to the 1.5°C ambition.
Greenpeace calls on global leaders to:
- Act on their commitments and the UNFCCC target to halt deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, with a decision that goes beyond voluntary pledges.
- Provide direct funding for Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ solutions to protect and restore forests.
- Regulate and stop funding those who profit from forest destruction.
*The polling was conducted in the following countries: Kenya, South Africa (Africa); Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, USA (Americas); Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea (Asia); Australia; Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, UK (Europe).
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