The forestry sector plays critical ecological and livelihood roles globally. They are the source livelihoods of over 1.6 billion people globally who rely on forest products, provide regulatory and support services estimated at between USD 75-100 billion annually, provide a home to over 80 percent of the global terrestrial biodiversity, and play vital sociocultural roles to the adjacent communities. 

They act both as carbon sources and sink depending on the associated forest cover changes. It is estimated that 5-10 GtCO₂ is attributed to deforestation and forest degradation, while over 2.6 Billion tonnes of CO₂ released by burning fossil fuels is absorbed by forests annually. Activities related to afforestation and reforestation have the potential to sequester over 4.9GtCO₂ annually, while forest restoration has the potential to sequester over 2.43GtCO₂ annually. 

As such, the forestry sector presents unmatched potential towards GHG emissions reduction and meeting the national level Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets as part of the Paris Agreement Goals. Notably, different countries have cited forests as their main pathway to meeting their deforestation reduction interventions through interventions such as REDD+ are cited as a top priority in many NDCs, with multiple social, economic and environmental co-benefits. Despite their massive potential, forest degradation and deforestation continue to increase at an alarming rate, with the NYDF partnership reporting a loss of over 4.2 million hectares of tropical forests in 2020 alone. 

This session will discuss and highlight lessons, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing the contributions of forests to achieving NDCs. It will bring together practitioners from the government, research and development, and the private sector to share their experiences in agroforestry practices and how the practice can be enhanced further for multiple ecological and livelihood benefits.