UN warns 489 mn hectares of forests lost since 1990

A UN FAO report warns that over 489 million hectares of forests have been lost since 1990, with restoration pledges only 20% fulfilled. Forests store 714 gigatonnes of carbon and support 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. FAO chief warned the action window is narrowing, while restoring one billion hectares could yield $1.8 trillion in annual benefits.