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This report assesses progress toward Goal 4 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on supporting alternatives to deforestation driven by basic needs, such as subsistence farming and fuelwood collection. The document highlights a significant lack of aggregate global data to measure progress, relying instead on proxy indicators like the distribution of clean cookstoves and related financial funding.

This report assesses progress toward Goal 5 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aims to restore 150 million hectares of degraded landscapes and forestlands by 2020 and an additional 200 million hectares by 2030. The assessment focuses on pledges made under the Bonn Challenge and commitments within Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted to the UNFCCC.

The report finds that while the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include an ambitious target to 'halt deforestation', the finalized indicators fail to measure gross forest loss or specific restoration efforts. By focusing on net deforestation, the framework weakens the practical application of conservation targets and lacks quantifiable metrics for reforestation and afforestation.

This report assesses progress toward Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on integrating forest-related mitigation measures into post-2020 global climate agreements. It specifically evaluates the operationalization of REDD+ financing through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the inclusion of land-use targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

This report assesses progress toward Goal 8 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on providing support for strategies to reduce forest emissions. The assessment highlights a significant imbalance between 'green' finance aligned with forest goals and 'grey' finance that potentially drives deforestation, noting that international public and private investments in sustainable forestry remain insufficient compared to the scale of the challenge.

This report summarizes progress toward Goal 9 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which focuses on rewarding countries and jurisdictions that reduce forest emissions through public policies, results-based payments, and private-sector commodity sourcing.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 4 Update evaluates efforts to support alternatives to deforestation driven by basic human needs, such as subsistence farming and woodfuel use. While the distribution of clean cookstoves has increased significantly, financial support for woodfuel interventions has declined. The report highlights various regional case studies in the Amazon, West Africa, and Southeast Asia that employ sustainable landscape approaches and community-based management to alleviate poverty and protect forests.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 5 Update evaluates global efforts to restore degraded landscapes and forestlands under the Bonn Challenge and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. It reports that Bonn Challenge pledges have reached 168.9 million hectares, surpassing the initial 2020 milestone of 150 million hectares, although measuring actual implementation remains a significant challenge.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 6 Update reports that Goal 6—the inclusion of ambitious, quantitative forest conservation and restoration targets for 2030 in the post-2015 global development framework—has been achieved through the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 7 Update reports that Goal 7, which sought to include forest-related mitigation in a post-2020 global climate agreement, was achieved through the 2015 Paris Agreement. The report evaluates progress based on the operationalization of REDD+ financing and the inclusion of land-use targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Eastern Caribbean Green Economy Barometer 2018 is a policy briefing that assesses the progress of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in transitioning to an inclusive green economy. It evaluates the region across five themes: measurement and governance, sustainable finance, green and inclusive sectors, social fairness, and economics for nature. The report concludes that the overall transition is 'below average,' characterized by narrow definitions of green economy that often exclude equity and inclusion, a lack of integrated national policies, and a disjointed financial landscape.

The India Green Economy Barometer 2018 report assesses India's progress toward a sustainable and inclusive economy. It finds that while India has high potential and has made significant strides in renewable energy and corporate social responsibility, the overall transition is slow and insufficient. The report highlights critical barriers, including the perception that environmental protection hinders economic growth, and calls for systemic reforms in finance, national accounting, and high-impact sectors like agriculture and construction to ensure a fair and green transition.

The Peru Green Economy Barometer 2018, produced by Foro Nacional & Internacional and Libelula, assesses Peru's transition toward a fair and green economy. The report argues that while the traditional 'brown' economic model is struggling, a fragmented but promising alternative is emerging through private sector innovation, government policy shifts in transport and energy, and community-led conservation efforts.

The Senegal Green Economy Barometer 2018, produced by IED Afrique and IUCN Senegal, assesses the country's progress toward a fair and green economy. It highlights a tension between strong GDP growth and rising absolute poverty, while detailing efforts to integrate renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green job creation into national development frameworks like the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE) 2035.

The South Africa Green Economy Barometer 2018 evaluates the country's transition toward a fair, green economy, awarding it a score of 5 out of 10. While South Africa possesses strong policy foundations, such as the National Development Plan and the 2011 Green Economy Accord, the report finds that the economy remains locked into carbon-intensive 'brown' systems, particularly in energy and mining, and fails to adequately include marginalized populations and the informal sector in its transition.

This report by Good Governance Africa-Nigeria analyzes the systemic failures of Nigeria's power sector and advocates for the expansion of renewable energy and the deregulation of the gas sector to address chronic electricity shortages and economic losses.

This policy brief examines the disconnect between water resource management and economic development planning in the Berg Water Management Area (WMA). It warns of severe economic losses and job deficits by 2040 due to water constraints and advocates for integrated planning, the potential creation of a regional water utility, and increased support from the Western Cape Government to help municipalities manage water augmentation and financing.

This case study describes a resource recovery project facilitated by the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) between Pallet Cycle and Apollo Brick. Following a fire at Pallet Cycle's storage facility, WISP arranged for Apollo Brick to repurpose the resulting waste material, diverting it from landfills and providing economic and environmental benefits to both companies.

WISP facilitated a partnership between Scan Display and Sealand Gear in 2015 to repurpose discarded event banners. This collaboration diverts 2 tonnes of polytwirl from landfills annually, avoids 54 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, and generates R270,000 in annual material savings for Sealand Gear.

This 2018 fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines South Africa's fulfillment of economic and social rights ahead of its first UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights review. It argues that the government's adoption of fiscal austerity, combined with extreme systemic inequality and corruption, undermines the rights to health and education.