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The Staggering Value of Forests – and How to Save Them
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The Staggering Value of Forests – and How to Save Them

Georg Kappen, Elisabeth Kastner, Torsten Kurth, Johanna Puetz, Andreas Reinhardt and Juuso Soininen
Boston Consulting Group, 2020
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Recommendation

Few will argue that forests aren’t nice things, but is protecting them really all that important? Shouldn’t policymakers focus on more pressing issues, like the economy? This special report from the Boston Consulting Group explains why the threat of deforestation matters, both ecologically and economically. According to the report’s findings, even if you disregard the intangible benefits of forests, like the fond memories created during family trips to national parks or the cuteness of an endangered tree owl, the benefits provided by the world’s forests are overwhelming, and worth saving.

Take-Aways

  • A conservative estimate places the value of the world’s forests at between $50-$150 trillion dollars.
  • Forests regulate the climate, remove harmful particles from water and air, and provide raw materials for various products.
  • Current threats to forests include land-use changes, rising temperatures, non-sustainable logging practices, and biotic and abiotic disturbances.

About the Authors

Georg Kappen, Elisabeth Kastner, Torsten Kurth, Johanna Puetz, and Andreas Reinhardt work in the Berlin offices of the Boston Consulting Group. Juuso Soininen is a Partner and Associate Director in the Helsinki office.

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