Forests
Forests are home to some of our planet’s most extraordinary plants and creatures. As natural carbon sinks, storing carbon in soil and trees as they grow, they are also essential in the fight against climate change.
But our forests are under threat from deforestation and increasingly frequent, destructive activities that threaten the capacity of forests to sustain us. When trees are cut down, burned, or both, any carbon stores is released into the atmosphere, worsening the climate emergency.


80%
of the world’s land biodiversity has made forests their home, including many varieties of trees, plants, animals, birds, insects and fungi working together in complex ecosystems.

2.9mil ha
of humid primary forest was lost in Malaysia between 2002 and 2023.
Source: Global Forest Watch

56%
of all tree cover loss between 2001 to 2023 in Malaysia was in Sarawak (3.27Mha) and Sabah (1.88Mha), followed by Pahang (1.27Mha).
Source: Global Forest Watch

The problem
In the Southeast Asian region, some of the biggest culprits of deforestation stems from unsustainable agricultural practices for palm oil, pulp and paper or monoculture farming. While logging, mining and infrastructure projects also play a part.
Unchecked deforestation and land clearing continues with the expansion of these industries, effecting us all – from the lives of orang asal & asli who are evicted from their ancestral land, to communities most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Understand the issues better

Deforestation

Our Work with Allies
What we do
Our work is to hold polluters, governments and groups responsible for devastating environmental acts, accountable.
And it all starts with investigations and documentation of evidence to pinpoint who could be the source of major forest fires and deforestation in the region. Alongside evidence gathered, we conduct research while working with allies and indigenous communities to call out for sustainable solutions in the protection of forests.
Because protecting forests is about defending human rights too.

How you can help
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2024 Nenggiri by-election: Who to vote for?
Every voice has the power to shape our future. And the 2024 Nenggiri by-election (PRK) is a golden opportunity for the people of Kelantan to voice their hopes.
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Clean air for Malaysia
Sign the petition today to fight for clean air. Air pollution is a silent and indiscriminate killer, affecting all of us. And, we need our government to act swiftly to protect our basic right to clean air.
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Every Donation Counts
We can’t do this without your help. Take action for environment protection, please make a donation today.
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The definitive guide to the animals of the Amazon Rainforest
From elusive jaguars and to playful river dolphins, every creature from the Amazon relies entirely on the rainforest for food, protection, and life itself.
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Growing roots of resilience with the Kelaik community
Greenpeace Malaysia and partners joined villagers and Ketua Adat Tata Ahak to launch Kitchen Farming—reviving traditions, protecting land, and growing food security.
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A call for justice in Kelaik customary land rights case
The Kelaik community’s fight for justice is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to uphold Indigenous rights, safeguard Malaysia’s ecological heritage, and prevent the continued erosion of Orang Asli and Asal culture and traditions.
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High Integrity Forest Finance: Learning from past mistakes in the development of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility
2025 is a critical year for changing course on climate change and biodiversity-loss. As the intersecting crisis of ecology crescendos with the crises of inequality and injustice, we find an opportunity for meaningful action.
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Destruction: Certified
Certification is not a solution to deforestation, forest degradation and other ecosystem conversion. In this report, we show how certification on its own has not helped companies meet their 2020 commitments.
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Burning Issues: Five Years of Fire
The 2015 fire season in Indonesia was the worst in nearly two decades, with the blazes for almost a month emitting daily carbon emissions that exceeded those from the entire US economy.
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Together we are part of a growing, global movement determined to bring about the changes our planet desperately needs.