UnEarth Magazine.

_{Writing by Siena Keijsers – Art by Daisy Kelly}

Primary forests are areas of forest which have reached the final stage of succession, otherwise known as climax communities. Primary forests show little evidence of human interference and adhere to requirements of ecological integrity, including being undisturbed by logging, mining, anthropogenic fires, road construction, and having their native assemblage unimpacted by imported invasive species. Additionally, they must be large and intact enough to allow native species assemblages, natural forest structure, and ecosystems to remain intact. 

Primary forests perform two key roles: conserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. In terms of biodiversity, a staggering two-thirds of the world’s biodiversity depends on primary forests. Primary forests are also incredibly carbon-rich, storing over 141 billion tonnes of carbon. Clearing primary forests releases this stored carbon and reduces their capacity to sequester more carbon in the future. When disturbed, primary forests take centuries to return to their undisturbed state or may not ever be the same again; once primary forest is gone, it’s gone forever. Whilst primary forests only comprise 26% of the world’s natural forest, their protection must be prioritised.  

Yet, unfortunately, primary forests are scarcely distinguished from general forests in international and national policy. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is one of the only actors to have pioneered initiatives exclusively focused on protecting primary forests. For instance, they launched the project, ‘Strengthening Conservation of Primary Forests through Partnership Enhancement and Coordination of Support’, in October 2024. The project aims to ensure policy financing mechanisms and on-the-ground interventions to protect primary forests are “aligned, purpose-driven and impactful”. Despite their efforts, the IUCN highlights, “there is insufficient recognition and conservation of primary forests globally”. Most policies use the term ‘forest’ broadly, disregarding the disparity in environmental benefits between primary, secondary, and degraded forests. 

In recognition of this, global environmental and development organisations convened to address the urgent need to conserve primary forests at the 19th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests. The meeting brought together a breadth of stakeholders, including policymakers, conservationists, and representatives from various countries and organisations involved in forest conservation. Discussions focused on stimulating finance for primary forest conservation and developing effective forest finance strategies. Jamal Annagylyjova, Forest Biodiversity Officer for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, recognised that “primary forest conservation must be elevated within international dialogues” during the session.  

Whilst it is all well and good discussing the ‘importance’ of primary forests, they continue to be destroyed at an alarming rate. In the last month, the American President, Donald Trump, issued an executive order expanding logging across 110 million hectares of primary forests in the United States. This will accelerate climate change and jeopardise a variety of wildlife, from spotted owls to grizzly bears. Equally, in January 2025 the World Wide Fund for Nature exposed Finland and Sweden’s failure to protect Europe’s last primary forests. The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment also revealed “irreplaceable primary forests continue to face inexcusable destruction”.  

The destruction of primary forests is not just an environmental issue, it is a crisis for climate stability, biodiversity, and future generations. The world cannot afford to treat all forests as equal when primary forests hold unparalleled ecological value. As their destruction accelerates, the window for action is rapidly closing. If national governments and global organisations do not step up now, these ancient ecosystems, and the life they sustain, will be lost forever.