CBIT-Forest survey sheds light on youth engagement in forest data transparency and capacity building

Students, youth and young professionals are increasingly recognized as key actors in advancing sustainable forest management and climate solutions. The project “Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector” (CBIT-Forest) recognizes the crucial role of youth in driving transparency, innovation and long-term impact in the forest sector.

To better understand how to reach and empower these future forest leaders, the CBIT-Forest project launched a global survey in collaboration with the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA). The survey aimed to assess youth awareness of CBIT-Forest’s forest monitoring knowledge resources, identify preferred learning and engagement formats, and collect feedback to improve outreach and engagement strategies. Moreover, it offered an opportunity to promote the key resources of reference.

Launched in April 2025 in English, Spanish and French, the survey garnered a total of 158 submissions from respondents across 48 countries, showcasing a broad geographic reach and strong global interest in forest monitoring for climate action.

Shared visions from diverse perspectives

The responses reflected the value of multilingual accessibility, with submissions in English (60 percent), Spanish (30 percent) and French (10 percent). Gender diversity was evident among the respondents (53 percent men, 45 percent women and 2 percent non-binary) and 53 percent of respondents identified as Indigenous Peoples. The respondents were predominantly young, with 73 percent aged 18-35 and 14 percent aged 36-50. The survey also captured voices from respondents over 50 years old (12 percent) and even a few children (1 percent under 18), thereby confirming intergenerational interest in forest monitoring for climate action. 

The majority of respondents held university qualifications, with the highest-earned degrees being bachelor's (44 percent), master’s (38 percent) and doctorate (11 percent). While this pattern aligns with the project’s core audience of students, researchers and early-career professionals, the survey also captured perspectives from those in short-cycle tertiary education (7 percent).

Bridging the awareness gap

One of the most striking findings was a critical lack of awareness of crucial ongoing efforts to improve the transparency of forest data for climate action. Seventy-six percent of respondents indicated they had not heard of the CBIT-Forest initiative, while only half of the respondents reported familiarity with the role of the forest sector in contributing to the Paris Agreement (47 percent).

Regarding specific CBIT-Forest learning resources on the subject, 72 percent were not familiar with the e-learning curriculum “Forest monitoring for climate action” by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), while 75 percent were not aware of the set of free, open-source solutions for forest and land monitoring available through Open Foris. As for the FAO open data platforms, very few participants indicated familiarity with the Global Forest Resources Assessments (FRA) (32 percent) and the Food and Agriculture Microdata Catalogue/ Forest Inventory Data Collection (17 percent).

Most importantly, as the respondents were provided with the opportunity to explore the resources via embedded links, the survey proved successful in sharing the previously unknown materials.

Improving accessibility for youth involvement

The respondents expressed a strong preference for interactive learning formats, such as hybrid online/in-person (27 percent), webinars (18 percent) and self-paced courses (13 percent). This preference outweighed the more passive formats, like podcasts (3 percent), videos (7 percent) and static publications (4 percent).

To improve accessibility and youth engagement, the respondents offered valuable suggestions. Key recommendations included:

• capacity-building and mentorship programmes;
  
• engagement through universities and institutions;
  
• inclusion of rural people, Indigenous Peoples and marginalized youth;
  
• integration into formal education and curricula;
  
• open-access tools;
  
• improved data literacy;
  
• mobile-friendly platforms;
  
• visual and multilingual content;
  
• partnerships with non-profit organizations, schools and governments; and
  
• improved visibility of youth voices and success stories.
  

From insight to action

The survey provided the following key findings to inform future awareness-raising and capacity-building efforts:

• Multilingual accessibility: Nearly 40 percent of respondents were non-English speakers, highlighting the importance of offering resources in multiple languages.
  
• Strong background diversity: The survey reflected broad gender diversity and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples.
  
• Highly educated audiences: Most respondents held university degrees, aligning with the target to reach students and early-career professionals.
  
• Broad generational interest: While 73 percent were youth, the survey also included young professionals, senior experts and even children.
  
• Engagement is key: Interactive formats, such as webinars, self-paced courses and hybrid events (online and in-person) are preferred over passive content.
  

Moreover, as a significant number of respondents were previously unaware of CBIT-Forest tools, the value of the survey as an outreach tool itself was evident as it raised awareness through its interactive design and embedded resource links.
These insights provide valuable direction for targeted awareness campaigns and capacity-development efforts for global youth under the CBIT-Forest project. As a next step, the CBIT-Forest team is developing a series of communication products – starting with this web story – to share the findings more broadly and guide inclusive, youth-responsive strategies to boost the transparency of forest data for climate action.