2024
The Call of the Forest Declaration - L’Appel de la Forêt
Forests and cities share a deep relationship shaped by thousands of years of interdependence. Today, strengthening this link is more urgent than ever in the face of growing environmental challenges. Cities, which house the majority of the world’s population, generate a significant share of resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The urban population is expected to grow from 54% in 2015 to 66% by 2050, leading to significant urban expansion. Material consumption in cities could reach 90 billion tons by 2050, accounting for 11% of global emissions. In light of this growth, it is essential to adopt low-carbon materials such as wood and bamboo, and to prioritize sustainable forest management.
Pilot Projects, in collaboration with the city of Paris, has developed The Call of the Forest Declaration, or L’Appel de la Forêt, a powerful collective commitment to protect and restore the world’s forests and natural ecosystems. Launched in April 2025 in Hué, Vietnam, at the 45th Annual Congress of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF), the declaration was signed by over 50 representatives from French speaking cities, encouraging cities to take bold actions by placing forests and mangroves at the core of their urban development, climate adaptation, and sustainability strategies. The declaration will be formally presented at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, marking a major step forward in aligning urban leadership with global climate goals.
Join the movement to protect our forests.
The Call of the Forest illustrates a commitment to placing forests and mangroves at the heart of your city’s sustainability and climate agenda. Your signature is more than symbolic, it signals your readiness to act, to lead, and to collaborate in building a more resilient, inclusive, and forest-positive future.
The declaration is available in French and English here.
The declaration is available in Portuguese here.
Interested in participating in this initiative? Contact us!
News
In April 2025, over 400 mayors and local government representatives from 35 countries gathered in Hué, Vietnam, for the 45th Annual Congress of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF). One of the key outcomes of the event was the launch of L’Appel de la Forêt. For more information on the event and its outcomes, visit our event page.
To encourage and support the co-creation of a Forests and Cities Declaration presented in October 2024 at the 3rd Edition of the Conference on Forest Preservation, we translated the report Better Forests, Better Cities « Meilleures Forêts, Meilleures Villes., developed by the Cities4Forests team and published by WRI.
This report assesses how and when forests—within, near, and far from cities—contribute to health and well-being, water security, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation for cities and their residents. As city leaders face the increasing demands of urban populations along with the impacts of a rapidly changing climate, they should consider the role forests can play in addressing these challenges and meeting the needs of urban dwellers.
Scott Francisco from Pilot Projects gives his first public speech in French, warmly welcoming the representatives. In the photo, you can see Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris; Arnaud Ngatcha, Deputy Mayor of Paris; Roger Mbassa Ndine, Mayor of Douala, Cameroon; and Gen. Jude Rapontchombo, Mayor of Libreville, Gabon. It’s a significant moment for Scott! The transcript of his speech is available in French and English.
