Forests & Finance Coalition is a comprehensive database and research platform designed to enhance transparency in the financial sector regarding tropical forest-risk commodities. The tool tracks the flow of capital from financial institutions to companies involved in sectors such as beef, palm oil, pulp and paper, rubber, soy, and timber. It provides finance professionals with essential data to identify and mitigate risks associated with deforestation and human rights abuses in tropical forest regions.

Organisation behind the tool

The tool is an initiative of a coalition of civil society organisations, including Rainforest Action Network, TuK INDONESIA, Profundo, Amazon Watch, Repórter Brasil, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, and various other environmental and social advocacy groups.

What the tool does

The tool provides a searchable database that allows users to:

• Track credit and investment flows from specific banks and institutional investors to forest-risk commodity companies.
• Assess the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies of major financial institutions.
• Visualise financial links through Sankey diagrams and regional data maps.
• Download datasets covering thousands of companies and their financial backers since 2013.

Target audience

The primary users include financial analysts, ESG researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organisations, and journalists focused on sustainable finance and forest conservation.

Relevance to finance professionals

• Risk assessment – Identifying exposure to companies linked to illegal deforestation, land grabbing, and social conflicts.
• ESG analysis – Benchmarking financial institution policies against international standards and tracking real-world financing impacts.
• Market/commodity insights – Understanding the financial structures supporting global commodities like palm oil and beef.
• Investment context – Aligning portfolios with zero-deforestation commitments and preparing for emerging due diligence regulations.