Navigating the complex world of reforestation efforts – Butler Nature

Report on a New Directory for Evaluating Reforestation Initiatives and Their Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Addressing the Transparency Gap in Global Reforestation

Global reforestation efforts have gained significant momentum as a primary strategy for achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). However, a lack of standardized metrics and transparency has made it difficult for donors and stakeholders to assess the true impact and long-term viability of these projects. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, highlighted this critical information gap, noting the absence of a standardized method for evaluating the effectiveness of numerous reforestation organizations.

Development of the Global Reforestation Organization Directory

To address this challenge, researchers Karen D. Holl and Spencer Schubert conducted a year-long analysis of over 125 intermediary reforestation organizations. This research culminated in the creation of Mongabay’s Global Reforestation Organization Directory. The directory is designed not to rank organizations but to provide standardized, verifiable information, thereby empowering stakeholders to make informed decisions that align with global sustainability targets.

Evaluation Criteria and Alignment with SDGs

The directory assesses organizations based on four primary criteria, each directly supporting the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Permanence: This criterion evaluates whether organizations have long-term monitoring protocols and public data on tree survival rates. It is crucial for ensuring that reforestation projects deliver lasting benefits for SDG 13 (Climate Action) by guaranteeing long-term carbon sequestration and for SDG 15 (Life on Land) by contributing to sustained ecosystem restoration.
2. Ecological Soundness: This assesses adherence to scientific best practices for forest restoration. This directly supports SDG 15 by promoting the recovery of biodiversity and the sustainable management of terrestrial ecosystems, rather than simply planting monocultures.
3. Social Benefit: This criterion examines the positive impact on local communities. It is a critical component for achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by ensuring that reforestation projects create sustainable livelihoods and empower local populations.
4. Financial Disclosure: This focuses on the public availability of financial reports. Transparency in funding is essential for building trust and accountability, a core principle of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), which calls for effective and transparent multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Conclusion: Enhancing Accountability for Global Goals

The Global Reforestation Organization Directory represents a significant step forward in promoting accountability within the environmental sector. By shifting the focus from simplistic metrics like “number of trees planted” to verifiable outcomes such as “increased tree cover over time,” the tool provides a more robust framework for action. It serves several key functions in the pursuit of the SDGs:

• It provides donors with the clarity needed to direct funding toward projects with proven, long-term ecological and social benefits.
• It establishes a higher standard of transparency and competence for practitioners, encouraging the adoption of best practices.
• It strengthens the integrity of reforestation as a key strategy for achieving global targets related to climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development.

Ultimately, the directory is a vital instrument for ensuring that investments in nature-based solutions genuinely contribute to a sustainable and resilient planet, in line with the comprehensive vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The article’s central theme is reforestation and the restoration of forests, which directly aligns with SDG 15’s aim to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.” The discussion revolves around the effectiveness and transparency of organizations dedicated to forest recovery.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Reforestation is presented as a key strategy for “planetary repair” and is linked to corporate “net zero” targets. This connects the article’s subject to SDG 13, which urges action to combat climate change and its impacts, as forests are crucial carbon sinks.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The article describes a complex ecosystem of actors, including corporations, philanthropies, intermediary groups, and local projects, all involved in global reforestation. The creation of the Mongabay directory is an effort to strengthen these partnerships by providing a tool for transparency and accountability, which is central to SDG 17’s goal of revitalizing global partnerships for sustainable development.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

Target 15.2

• Target 15.2: “By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.”
• Explanation: The article is entirely focused on the challenges and best practices of global reforestation efforts. It discusses the need to move beyond simply planting trees to ensuring forests are genuinely restored, which is the core of this target.

Target 15.b

• Target 15.b: “Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management…”
• Explanation: The article highlights the financial aspect of reforestation, mentioning how intermediary groups “funnel most global funding” and how donors ask, “Who should I donate my money to?”. The directory’s criterion of “financial disclosure” directly relates to tracking the mobilization of these resources.

Target 13.3

• Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.”
• Explanation: The directory described in the article serves as a tool to raise awareness and build institutional capacity. It helps donors, practitioners, and the public make more informed decisions about supporting reforestation projects, which are a key climate change mitigation strategy.

Target 17.16

• Target 17.16: “Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources…”
• Explanation: The directory is a knowledge-sharing platform designed to improve the effectiveness of partnerships between funders (donors, corporations) and implementing organizations. It aims to ensure that financial resources are channeled to projects that adhere to best practices.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

Implied Indicators for Forest Restoration Success (Target 15.2)

• Tree cover increase over time: The article explicitly mentions this as a more advanced metric than simply counting planted trees: “We’ve graduated from asking, ‘How many trees did they plant?’ to ‘Has tree cover increased over time?’”
• Tree survival data: The researchers verified whether “survival data” was publicly available, implying this is a key indicator of a project’s success.
• Permanence: This is listed as one of the four main criteria in the directory for evaluating organizations, indicating the long-term viability of the restored forest.
• Ecological soundness: Another of the four criteria, suggesting that progress should be measured by how well a project adheres to scientific best practices for creating a healthy ecosystem, not just a tree plantation.

Implied Indicators for Financial Transparency (Target 15.b)

• Public availability of financial reports: The article states that the directory verifies whether “financial reports were publicly available,” making this a clear indicator of transparency and accountability in the use of funds for reforestation.

Implied Indicators for Social Impact

• Evidence of community benefit: The article notes that few organizations “disclose evidence that… communities benefit.” This is presented as a key measure of a project’s holistic success, aligning with the social dimension of sustainable development.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: butlernature.com