APEC urges stronger action to protect Asia-Pacific forests
The call was made during the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, on Thursday, according to an APEC statement.
“We gather here today in China to renew our shared aspirations and chart the future of forests together, an occasion of great significance amid global transformation,” Administrator of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China Liu Guohong said in his opening remarks.
During the meeting, participants warned that illegal logging, mangrove loss, and rapid urbanization are placing one of the region’s greatest economic assets under increasing pressure.
Meeting at the sixth APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry, ministers and senior representatives focused on how digital technologies can strengthen sustainable forest management.
Illegal logging accounts for an estimated 15 to 30 percent of the global timber trade, costing the Asia-Pacific an estimated USD51 billion annually, the statement said.
Senior representatives from the 21 APEC economies stressed the importance of combating illegal logging and expanding legal timber trade, particularly through the wider adoption of technologies such as predictive artificial intelligence.
DNA profiling and blockchain tracking are also important tools that help legitimate businesses demonstrate that their timber has been legally sourced while strengthening buyer confidence across the region.
The APEC Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade is advancing these efforts by maintaining user-friendly resources such as the Timber Legality Guidance Template, which enables businesses to quickly verify legal timber requirements. The group also engages small forestry enterprises to better understand the challenges they face, among other initiatives.
Ministers also highlighted opportunities to move the forestry sector up the value chain by expanding forest products and downstream processing while developing services such as agroforestry and ecotourism to diversify income sources and strengthen the resilience of forestry-dependent economies and communities.
Home to approximately 48 percent of the world’s mangroves, the Asia-Pacific has a critical role to play in protecting these ecosystems.
Ministers called for faster conservation and restoration efforts, emphasizing the importance of mangroves for disaster resilience, food security, and sustainable economic growth.
As economies continue to grow and cities across the region expand, ministers also called for greater urgency in developing environmentally sustainable urban spaces, using technology and data to support their design, protection, and expansion.
International organizations also highlighted how partnerships are translating policy into action, from the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation’s long-running forest restoration projects across the region to the work of the International Mangrove Center.
“The Asia-Pacific region, with its interconnected mountains and rivers, shares both opportunities and challenges,” Liu said.
“Let this meeting serve as a new starting point. Let us work hand in hand and move forward together to inject greater positive momentum into building a cleaner and more beautiful Asia-Pacific,” Liu concluded.
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