Norway’s deforestation policy is a wake-up call—will the Philippines listen?

When Norway made headlines by committing to a zero-deforestation policy, I couldn’t help but ask: When will we, in the Philippines, take forest protection this seriously?

The Norwegian government has now pledged that no product entering its public procurement system should be linked to deforestation. That’s not just a statement of intent—it’s a policy shift backed by political will. According to the UN-backed Climate Action, this move is part of Norway’s long-standing leadership in rainforest protection. Back in 2008, they even put their money where their mouth is, giving Brazil a whopping US$1 billion to help preserve the Amazon. It worked—Brazil cut deforestation by 75% and spared over 33,000 square miles of forest.

This latest move is not just symbolic. Norway’s decision sends a message across the globe: governments must lead by example, not just rely on voluntary pledges from the private sector. Nils Hermann Ranum of Rainforest Foundation Norway said it best: “This is an important victory... Until now, this has not been matched by similar commitments from governments.”

So, what about us here in the Philippines?

We do have several reforestation and forest protection programs. The National Greening Program (NGP), for example, aims to plant 1.5 billion trees across 1.5 million hectares by 2028. More recently, the Forests for Life campaign launched by the DENR targets 5 million trees planted and 3.5 million tons of carbon sequestered by 2038. There's also the Community-Based Forest Management Program, which rightly empowers local communities to conserve forestlands.

These are well-intentioned, yes. But I must ask: Do they come with the same level of bold commitment and accountability that we’re seeing from Norway?

Are we banning products that are driving deforestation? Are we screening government procurement to ensure that the wood, paper, or palm oil used in public projects is sustainably sourced? Do we even know where those materials are coming from?

Our laws, such as the Revised Forestry Code (P.D. 705) and more recent Department Administrative Orders (DAOs), provide a good legal framework. We also have a carbon accounting and verification system in place. But frameworks are only as good as their enforcement—and that’s where things start to fall apart.

Here’s a sobering fact: according to the WWF, global deforestation reached 16.3 million acres in 2022, and a big chunk of that happened in Southeast Asia. The Philippines is not immune. Illegal logging, land conversion, and mining continue to chip away at what little primary forest we have left.

Some of our reforestation programs face challenges, too. Survival rates of planted trees remain low, and there's often little post-planting monitoring. Tree planting becomes a photo op, not a long-term ecological commitment.

Norway’s example shows that political will matters. A recent global study concluded that strong governance and civil society pressure were essential in countries like Brazil and Indonesia where forest loss has slowed.

So, where’s the pressure in our case? Where’s the accountability?

I believe it’s time for the Philippines to adopt its own Zero Deforestation Commitment, starting with public procurement. If government agencies refuse to buy paper, wood, and other materials unless they’re proven to be deforestation-free, we would create a powerful economic incentive for sustainability.

We must also expand our understanding of deforestation. It's not just about trees—it's about soil health, biodiversity, and food security. That’s why I welcome initiatives like the UN’s Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (GLOSOB), which aims to monitor underground ecosystems. We need to do something similar locally. Healthy forests are not just green canopies—they are living, breathing networks of life, above and below the ground.

Finally, we must take a hard look at so-called carbon offset projects, which are underperforming globally. A University of Utah study points out that many offset programs—especially forest preservation efforts—lack transparency and solid verification. We should reform our own REDD-Plus strategies to ensure that we’re not just ticking boxes but saving forests.

In short, we can no longer afford to treat deforestation as a secondary issue. It’s at the heart of our fight against climate change, poverty, and disaster vulnerability.

Norway has raised the bar. Now the question is—will the Philippines rise to meet it?

Let’s not wait until our last tree becomes a memory carved into an environmental impact assessment. Let’s act while we still have forests to protect.