The rate of deforestation has dropped by a third over the past 10 years compared to the previous decade, according to a landmark report on international biodiversity targets.
The achievement, which falls short of a goal agreed by governments, offers a slim glimmer of hope for biodiversity advocates.
Under the Aichi Biodiversity Targets negotiated in Japan in 2010, the aim was to reduce the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, by at least half.
Only six of 20 targets have been partially met and none fully achieved, according to the lead author of the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 report, who spoke at the the One World One Health Global Landscapes Forum biodiversity-focused digital conference this week.