Letter from more than 100 civil society organizations calling on countries to establish a Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework (GDAF)
November 30, 2023
Dear Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration Signatories:
The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (“Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration”),
signed almost two years ago, aligned the international community around unprecedented global
ambition to protect and restore the world’s climate-critical forests. Committing the 145 signatories to
“halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030,” the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration was a
unified global articulation of the essential role of forest protection and restoration for both climate
mitigation and adaptation and the need for international progress, across all forest biomes, toward
this critical pillar of climate action.
The realization of that goal, however, will depend on shared accountability that fosters
comprehensive, common, and equitable action to protect and restore forests globally.
To promote this global cooperation and effective, timely implementation, the undersigned
organizations from around the world are calling on you to support and enable the creation of a
Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework at COP28 in Dubai that advances
transparency, facilitation, and alignment around the 2030 goals.
Less than two years after the signing of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration, there are already warning
signs that signatories are not prepared to deliver on the agreement’s promise. 2022 saw an increase in
tropical primary forest loss, as well as continued rates of tree cover loss in boreal and temperate
forests. There also continues to be a foundational inequity between the Global North and the Global
South, as few developed country signatories have adopted measures to address forest impacts
domestically. This places an outsized burden on developing countries and leaves a significant gap in
climate and biodiversity action.
In order to achieve the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration’s transformative vision, we urge that you
support the creation of a Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework, a government-led effort
that fosters strong implementation through mandatory reporting and enhanced monitoring, policy
pledges and financial commitments, and alignment around common standards and outcomes.
This Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework should include the following mechanisms:
- Transparency: Annual, country-led reporting on rates of deforestation, degradation,
restoration, and associated metrics; commitments to address global data gaps, including on
rates of primary and old-growth forest loss and protection; and annual reporting on the
delivery of public financial contributions. - Facilitation and Finance: Policy commitments, including the elimination and redirection of
harmful subsidies; financing in the context of non-market approaches for Indigenous-led land
stewardship and other mitigation and adaptation efforts. - Alignment: Common standards and shared understandings around metrics and
responsibilities, and commitments to jointly and synergistically address the climate and
biodiversity crises.
These mechanisms should, where appropriate, apply and build on existing international climate and
nature commitments and frameworks, and create new structures where gaps exist.
The African Ministerial Conference of the Environment recently supported the creation of this
Accountability Framework “as a means of driving global progress and promoting greater equity
between forest protection standards.” This framework would ensure equitable burden-sharing around
climate mitigation and adaptation through promoting implementation across boreal and temperate
forests, as well as global cooperation and mobilization of resources toward tropical forest protection.
Too often, responsibilities fall disproportionately on those with the fewest resources and least
political power.
A Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework would also align with and help support growing
marketplace attention to addressing deforestation and degradation. It would also build on the initial
progress from governments, including the United States and the European Union, toward monitoring
and protecting their own high-integrity forests.
The actions that participants take this year to place the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on a stronger
trajectory will determine the outcomes for the world’s forests and, as a result, the wellbeing of
present and future generations. By developing a Glasgow Declaration Accountability Framework, the
Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration signatories can work cooperatively, with common understanding and
internationally equitable standards, to achieve the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration’s 2030 targets and
to protect climate-critical forests around the world.
Sincerely,
350 Eugene
AbibiNsroma Foundation (ANF)
Amazon Conservation Association
Biodiversity Conservation Center
Biomass Action Group
BirdLife International
BirdLife Sweden
Blue Dalian
CAMBIUM
CAN Canada
Canopée
Canopu
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History
Center for Biological Diversity
Centre for Sustainability PH
Ceres
ClimActs
CLIMARTE
Climate Action Network Australia
Climate Action Network International
Climate Action Network South Africa
Climate Action Network Zimbabwe (CANZIMBABWE)
Climate Communications Coalition
Climate Focus
Comité Schone Lucht
Connecticut River Defenders
Conservation North
David Suzuki Foundations
De Klimaatcoalitie
Dogwood Alliance
Earth Action, Inc.
Earth Day.org
Earth League International (ELI)
EcoNexus
EDSP ECO
Environmental Investigation Agency US
Environmental Paper Network
Environmental Protection Information Center
Explorers Club
Extinction Rebellion Western Massachusetts
Fastenaktion Switzerland
federation against Biomass Powerplants
Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN)
Forest Keeper
Forest Web
Forum Ökologie & Papier
Foundation Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth Japan
Front Commun pour la Protection de l’Environnement et des Espaces Protégés (FCPEEP-RDC)
FUNDACIÓN NATURALEZA EL SALVADOR
Gallatin Wildlife Association
Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace
University
Global Forest Coalition
Global Witness
Great Lakes and Wetlands Association
Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Cascade-Volcanoes Chapter
Green America
Green Impact
Greenpeace
Iceland Nature Conservation Association
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Jeunes Volontaires pour l’environnement
Jordens Vänner / Friends of the Earth Sweden
Kalang Land Environment Action Network
Landelijk Netwerk Bossen- en Bomenbescherming
Last Tree Laws
Leefmilieu
LIVE
Mercy International Association
Mighty Earth
Mobilisation for the Environment
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Nature Canada
Nature Québec
Nillumbik Climate Action Team
Northeast Forest Watch /NJ Forest Watch
Northwest Montana Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Ontario Nature
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Paso Pacifico
Plantlife
Protect the Forest
Rainforest Foundation Norway
Rainforest Foundation UK
Rare
Rasmussen Family Foundation
Re-nourish
Restor
RESTORE: The North Woods
RSPB
Save Estonia’s Forests
Save Massachusetts Forests
Silva Forest Foundation
Social Compassion in Legislation
Solutions for Our Climate
South East Region Conservation Alliance
Stand.earth
Standing Trees
The Enviro Show
Turtle Island Restoration Network
WILD Foundation
Wild Heritage
WildEarth Guardians
Wildlands League
Windfall Ecology Centre
Workshops for biodiversity
World Animal Protection
Youth4Nature
