Deforestation

Monitors the loss of forest cover, a critical indicator for biodiversity, climate change, and supply chain transparency.

availability

On Demand

Now

indicator tier

Silver

unit

Hectares; Event count

spatial resolution

30m

measurement frequency

Annual

measurement level

Plot

historic data availability

2020 - 2024

Forescast data availability

N/A

applicable crop types

All

applicable land type

Grassland

Cropland

Forestry

compliance frameworks

CSRD (ESRS E4), EUDR, Nature Positive Initiative (NPI), SBTN, SBTi, TNFD

description

This indicator tracks the loss of forest cover. Monitoring deforestation is critical for assessing environmental impact, as it is a primary driver of biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. For businesses, this data is essential for ensuring supply chain transparency, complying with international regulations like the EUDR, and mitigating reputational risks associated with forest-risk commodities.

methodology

Deforestation detection is conducted using satellite imagery that tracks changes in forest cover since 2020. This involves analyzing the “lossyear” data layer from the Global Forest Change data (Hansen 2024), and baselining it with JRC’s Global Forest Cover 2020 data to quantify deforestation in specified plots. 2020 is chosen as the baseline year to conform to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

validation

Verification of this indicator involves using authoritative sources such as the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment and satellite-based systems like Global Forest Watch. Verification includes checking annual forest cover loss data against official national forest inventories and remote sensing outputs.