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The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is an intergovernmental entity established in 1992 to improve the understanding of global environmental change and its socioeconomic implications in the Americas. It provides scientific information to policymakers in its 19 member countries to support the development of adaptation plans. The IAI's scientific agenda focuses on climate variability, regional climate change, and comparative studies of ecosystems, biodiversity, and water resources across tropical, temperate, and cold latitudes.

The case study argues that forests influence climate stability through biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—beyond the carbon cycle. In Chile, the loss of over 40% of forest cover, particularly the matorral in the central region, has likely contributed to local temperature increases and exacerbated the 'Mega Drought' (2010-2018). The authors propose enhancing Chile's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Long-Term Climate Strategy, and REDD+ frameworks by incorporating non-carbon cooling effects as performance indicators and targets. They also suggest expanding the ARClim risk assessment platform to include deforestation-induced warming to better prioritize adaptation measures in agriculture and public health.

The document argues that forests influence climate not only through carbon sequestration but also through biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—which affect temperature and precipitation. In Chile, the conversion of native vegetation to crops and pastures has been linked to local surface temperature increases of up to 4°C. The authors suggest that Chile can enhance its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Long-Term Climate Strategy, and REDD+ strategies by incorporating these non-carbon effects as performance indicators and adaptation goals. Specifically, they recommend prioritizing native species over exotic plantations to maximize cooling effects and utilizing the ARClim digital platform to identify areas at risk of non-carbon warming.

The report examines the non-carbon biophysical effects of forests—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—and their impact on local and global temperatures and precipitation. Using Chile as a case study, it highlights how deforestation of native vegetation, such as the matorral, has contributed to local surface temperature increases. The document proposes specific policy enhancements for Chile, including adjusting its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to favor native species over exotic plantations, expanding the ARClim risk assessment platform, and incorporating biophysical indicators into the National Strategy for Climate Change and Plant Resources (ENCCRV). It suggests that Chile's approach can serve as a model for other UNFCCC parties to recognize deforestation as a climate hazard beyond carbon emissions.

The research paper contends that carbon markets focus exclusively on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals, failing to account for the biophysical processes of tropical forests—such as evapotranspiration and albedo—that contribute significantly to global cooling. This omission leads to overly conservative crediting for tropical regions and an underestimation of their mitigation potential, which the authors estimate could provide an additional 1.4 to 1.8 gigatons of CO2-equivalent annual mitigation. The paper also highlights the concept of 'positive biophysical leakage,' where protecting forests enhances the resilience of surrounding landscapes against wildfire and drought. To address these inequities, the authors recommend that norm-setting bodies balance risk assessments, allow for premium pricing based on non-carbon attributes, and work toward quantifying biophysical effects as CO2 equivalents.

The report contends that carbon markets focus exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions, ignoring four key biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—that allow tropical forests to cool the planet. This omission leads to a significant underestimation of the climate mitigation potential of tropical forests, which the authors claim contribute 50% more to global warming prevention than carbon alone. The document highlights that conservative risk-management standards (such as additionality and leakage tests) further penalize tropical forest credits, particularly in High Forest Low Deforestation (HFLD) countries. It proposes that these non-carbon benefits be treated as additional attributes for pricing or eventually quantified as CO2 equivalents to ensure a more equitable transition for indigenous peoples and local communities.

The report contends that carbon markets focus exclusively on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, failing to account for four key biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—that allow tropical forests to cool the planet. This omission leads to an underestimation of the mitigation potential of tropical forests, which could provide an additional 1.4 to 1.8 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent mitigation per year. The authors argue that this creates an inequitable system that penalizes tropical nations and indigenous communities while overvaluing forests in higher latitudes. To correct this, the document recommends incorporating biophysical effects as additional credit attributes, recognizing 'positive biophysical leakage' that enhances landscape resilience, and developing long-term methods to quantify these benefits as CO2 equivalents.

The document outlines how forests influence climate stability through four non-carbon biophysical processes: albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols. It argues that ignoring these effects leads to an undervaluation of tropical forests, as tropical deforestation contributes 50 percent more to global warming than carbon-only metrics suggest. The authors propose six specific mechanisms for UNFCCC Parties to integrate these effects into official processes, including GHG inventories, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), REDD+ reporting, National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), the Global Stocktake, and the IPCC's 7th Assessment Report cycle.

The policy brief highlights that forests influence the climate through four key non-carbon biophysical processes: albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols. It argues that focusing solely on carbon underestimates the cooling value of tropical forests and ignores local temperature spikes caused by deforestation. The authors propose six specific ways for UNFCCC Parties to integrate these effects into national greenhouse gas inventories, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), REDD+ reporting, adaptation planning, the Global Stocktake, and the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report (AR7).

The briefing explains how forests influence climate through non-carbon biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—and proposes six specific mechanisms for the UNFCCC to integrate these effects into national reporting, NDCs, REDD+, adaptation planning, the Global Stocktake, and IPCC assessments.

The document highlights that tropical deforestation contributes 50% more to global warming than carbon emissions alone when biophysical effects are included. These effects—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—regulate local temperatures and regional rainfall. Deforestation disrupts these processes, leading to decreased crop yields (e.g., a 12% drop in soy productivity in Brazil) and increased heat stress for workers. The authors urge companies and investors to move beyond reputational goals and address these material risks through jurisdictional collaboration, improved spatial analysis, and stricter financial disclosures.

The document highlights that tropical deforestation contributes 50% more to global warming than carbon emissions alone due to biophysical processes like albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols. These non-carbon effects cause local temperature spikes and regional rainfall disruptions, leading to direct productivity losses in commodities such as soy and impacting worker safety through heat stress. It calls on companies and financial institutions to move beyond reputational risk management and address these material operational risks through jurisdictional cooperation, improved spatial research, and stricter portfolio alignment.

The document highlights that tropical deforestation contributes 50% more to global warming than carbon emissions alone suggest due to biophysical processes like albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols. These non-carbon effects cause immediate local and regional climate disruptions, such as increased temperature extremes and erratic rainfall, which directly threaten crop yields and worker productivity. For example, deforestation in Brazil is linked to a 12% loss in soy productivity, and Amazonian deforestation is plausibly linked to a 2017 drought in Argentina costing the economy approximately $4.6 billion. The authors argue that while many companies have made deforestation-free commitments to manage reputational risks, they often overlook these material operational risks. To mitigate these, the report recommends that companies and investors increase coordination through coalitions, leverage nature-related financial disclosures, and engage in jurisdictional-scale conservation efforts that extend beyond their own direct supply chains.

The document explains that forests influence climate stability through four non-carbon biophysical processes: albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols. It highlights that tropical deforestation contributes 50% more to global warming than carbon accounting alone suggests and can increase local peak temperatures by over 7.6°C. The authors propose six specific actions for UNFCCC parties to integrate these effects into national GHG inventories, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), REDD+ financing, adaptation planning, the Global Stocktake, and the IPCC's Seventh Assessment Report.

The document explains 'extreme event attribution'—the scientific method used to determine if and how much climate change influenced a specific weather event. It warns journalists against three common mistakes: ignoring climate change, attributing events without evidence, or citing it as the sole cause. The guide provides detailed analysis for heatwaves, floods, tropical cyclones, heavy snow, droughts, and fires, noting that while heatwaves are unilaterally linked to global warming, other events like droughts and snowfall have more complex, region-specific relationships with climate change. It emphasizes that disasters result from both extreme weather and societal vulnerability.