On 15 October 2025, the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) co-organized a webinar titled “Achieving Global Goals through Sustainable Forest Management.” The webinar brought together around 150 participants representing 100 companies from 12 countries, reflecting the growing global interest in sustainable forest management and corporate engagement in climate action.
The session provided insights into private sector efforts toward sustainable forests and fostered opportunities for businesses to collaborate with AFoCO on impactful forest projects. The event was conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation provided in Korean.
The webinar opened with a brief introduction by Ms. Sylvie Josel, Lead of Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions at UNGC, who served as the moderator. Subsequently, Dr. Chongho Park, Executive Director of AFoCO, delivered welcome remarks emphasizing the importance of corporate participation in sustainable forest management and highlighting the Friends of Asia and Asian Forests (FAAF) initiative, which explores nature-based solutions and green business opportunities.
Speaker 1: Tran Quynh Chi – Forest Biodiversity and the Role of Business
Regional Director of Asian Landscapes, IDH
Ms. Tran Quynh Chi introduced IDH’s collaboration projects addressing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), featuring examples such as deforestation-free coffee in Viet Nam and smallholder-inclusive palm oil in Indonesia. Her presentation highlighted IDH’s role in transforming markets to deliver benefits for people, the planet, and progress.
Speaker 2: Dr. Kikang Bae – Mobilizing Sustainable Finance for Ecosystem and Forest Restoration
Team Leader, Strategic Planning Team, AFoCO
Dr. Kikang Bae presented AFoCO’s FAAF initiative, outlining key activities such as the FAAF Forum and the Climate Action Matchmaking Platform (CAMP) — an online platform for developing customized forest projects. She showcased AFoCO’s collaborations with private sector partners, including Rabobank, KT&G, and Woori Bank, and discussed future plans for FAAF, including establishing the FAAF Expert Group, diversifying engagement activities, introducing a membership fee, and promoting CSR case studies at global events.
Speaker 3: Chulyong Bae – Yuhan-Kimberly Forest in Tujiin Nars
Team Leader, Environmental Management Team, Yuhan-Kimberly
Mr. Chulyong Bae Lee shared Yuhan-Kimberly’s “Keep Mongolia Green” project, a long-term initiative combating desertification in Mongolia. He presented achievements in Tujiin Nars, where over 10 million trees have been planted across 3,250 hectares to restore degraded land. Mr. Bae explained how the project has evolved from tree planting to forest management and research, generating both environmental and socio-economic benefits for local communities.
Watch the webinar in full version