From Sumatra to Sao Paulo: practical lessons for COP30

COP30 in Belem, Brazil, will rightly put the future of forests on the world stage. It should also highlight a quieter, but equally important, story: how practical lessons from major forest economies show that protecting nature is not only an environmental imperative, but also a driver of long-term value for business and communities.

Over the past decade, I have seen that companies which treat forests as expendable eventually face higher borrowing costs, fragile supply chains and eroding investor confidence.

By contrast, firms that integrate conservation into their operations reduce volatility, strengthen community partnerships and gain access to capital on better terms. Indonesia and Brazil, both economies built in part on forest resources, offer lessons that can travel across borders and balance sheets.