OECD Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum 2025: Forests, agriculture and other land uses as a cornerstone of climate action

As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil — where nature is expected to be high on the agenda — this year’s Green Growth and Sustainable Development (GGSD) Forum will focus on the role of forests and agriculture in mitigating climate change. Over a high-level opening and five thematic sessions, the Forum will explore how improving forest management practices can enhance carbon sequestration and the protection of natural capital, and how the agriculture sector can reduce emissions and contribute to biodiversity while remaining productive and building resilience to climate impacts and other environmental risks. The Forum will also discuss measurement and data challenges in estimating greenhouse gas emissions and removals, how to scale up finance to leverage forests as carbon sinks, and the interlinkages between forests and rural development while considering how different national circumstances affect forest management.
The Forum will be opened by the OECD Secretary-General, Mathias Cormann. Featured speakers will include:
- Eric LAMBIN, Professor, Université Catholique de Louvain, Ishiyama Provostial Professorship at the School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences and the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University
- Franz TATTENBACH CAPRA, Minister for Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
- Armands KRAUZE, Minister for Agriculture, Latvia
- Julie COLLINS, Deputy Director-General Policy and Trade, Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand
- Hiroyuki ISONO, CEO, Oji Holdings, Japan
- Jack HURD, Executive Director, Tropical Forest Alliance, World Economic Forum
- Anja GASSNER, Director Europe, CIFOR-ICRAF