Deforestation via forest conversion remains a persistent threat that leads to land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Financial inclusion significantly boosts the deforestation dilemma and many communities in SSA lack access to formal financial services, limiting their ability to invest in sustainable land-usage practices, agricultural activities or alternative livelihoods that could mitigate forest loss. This study employs conditional and unconditional quantile regression (QR) to investigate the heterogeneity and impact of demand- and supply-side indicators of financial inclusion on forest conversion across different quantiles in the SSA economies between 2004 and 2020. Results indicate that significant negative financial inclusion and access to financial institutions reduces, while financial usage and markets increases, forest conversion rates across different distributions of deforestation. The positive impact of financial markets on forest conversion suggests the need for regulatory policies to ensure investments influenced by financial markets do not lead to forest and environmental degradation. To promote sustainable development and reduce deforestation in the region, policymakers should focus on enhancing financial inclusion while regulating financial markets to ensure that investments support environmentally sustainable activities. SSA can achieve both economic prosperity and environmental protection by aligning financial systems with sustainability goals.