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The Resilient Agriculture Innovations for Nature (RAIN) challenge, a partnership between the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and Munich Re Foundation, seeks nature-positive agricultural innovations in East Africa. Open to not-for-profit organisations, the challenge provides selected winners with tailored mentoring, a Leadership Academy, communications support, and potential next-stage funding for implementation and scaling. Applications are evaluated on a 100-point scale across criteria including innovativeness, impact, equity, scalability, viability, team composition, and risk.

The document compares 63 first and updated NDC submissions to assess their alignment with the 2030 Agenda. While updated NDCs are longer and contain more activities, the authors find that the share of quantified targets remains low for most SDGs. There is a notable increase in activities addressing social dimensions—specifically gender equality, reduced inequalities, and inclusive participation—but a concerning decrease in activities linking climate change to food security, water, and land use. Economic activities have generally increased in number, though energy access and affordability have seen a decline in priority.

The document outlines a methodology for conservation practitioners to analyze how corruption impacts natural resource management. It details the benefits of such analyses—including improved understanding of power dynamics and local perceptions of corruption—and provides a step-by-step approach to defining scope, identifying stakeholders, and collecting sensitive data. The guide emphasizes a non-conflictual approach with governments and the importance of security and confidentiality. It includes three case studies: one in Latin America focusing on fishing permits, one in Asia on community forestry governance, and one in Europe on land-use planning, demonstrating how these analyses lead to systematic anti-corruption integration in conservation programming.

The document outlines the 'Map, Characterize, Assess, and Recommend' (MCAR) approach developed by the Basel Institute on Governance to identify and mitigate systemic corruption risks in the criminal justice system related to natural resources. It emphasizes a collaborative, systemic approach over isolated agency assessments, providing a step-by-step process from planning and process mapping to risk prioritization and the implementation of mitigation measures.

This briefing from the IAI Directorate provides an update on the partnership between the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Belmont Forum, detailing the IAI's role as a member and co-Chair, and its participation in several Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs).

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) Advisory Board met in March 2023 to refine the Center's strategic framework and identify flagship activities. The SDC aims to enhance the capacity of IAI member states to address global change through a science diplomacy knowledge hub, regional training for policymakers, and improved science-policy communication. Proposed priority actions include landscape analyses of scientific information flow in government and the development of training courses on negotiation and science diplomacy. The SDC intends to co-design its three-year working plan with member states, utilizing engagement at CoP 31 to ensure initiatives meet regional needs.

The Scientific Diplomacy Center (SDC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is establishing a framework to strengthen the science-policy interface across the Americas. The center aims to provide member states with scientific evidence to address global change challenges, including food security, water resources, and disaster risk management. Key proposed initiatives include developing a scientific diplomacy knowledge hub, creating training courses for policymakers and negotiators, and conducting outreach to analyze how scientific information is translated into policy. The SDC plans to co-design its three-year priority activities with IAI member states, with a specific engagement plan for COP 31 to ensure these initiatives meet regional needs.

The proposed Donlin Gold Mine in Southwest Alaska, described as the world's largest pure gold mine, faces significant opposition from Indigenous Tribes and legal challenges from Earthjustice. The project involves a massive open-pit mine and a 316-mile gas pipeline, which opponents argue threatens critical subsistence resources, including salmon and rainbow smelt, and risks tailings dam failure. Legal actions are currently targeting state permits and a federal environmental impact statement to potentially vacate authorizations and force a project redesign.

The document assesses the role of nature restoration in climate mitigation, citing a University of Melbourne study to demonstrate that land-based carbon removals cannot substitute for the phase-out of fossil fuels. While nature restoration provides ecological benefits and can remove 100 GtC by 2100, this only offsets 15% of the 650 GtC projected to be released under current government policies. The brief emphasizes that the lag time for land sequestration means these activities have minimal impact on peak temperatures, which are expected within 10–20 years. To achieve the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal, the author argues for prompt fossil fuel emission reductions of 85%–98% alongside nature restoration and the halting of deforestation.

The document evaluates Madagascar's legal framework for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) in the mining sector. While it identifies strengths such as up-to-date environmental texts and established institutions like the Office National pour l'Environnement (ONE), it highlights critical weaknesses. These include broad stability clauses that may freeze outdated laws, the ability of the environment minister to override ONE's technical objections, and a permitting sequence that allows mining licenses to be granted before environmental permits. The report recommends removing or limiting stability clauses, making environmental permits a prerequisite for mining licenses, and increasing public participation during the early stages of ESIA report drafting.

The report explores the integration of systems thinking into asset management to better assess sustainability impacts. It identifies six key dimensions of systems thinking—considering multiple sustainability dimensions, both positive and negative impacts, indirect effects, co-benefits and trade-offs, long-term perspectives, and the scale of impacts. The study finds that while there is interest among 'front runner' practitioners, the finance sector's reliance on quantitative, aggregated data and short-term horizons creates a significant barrier to operationalizing a systems approach. The authors argue that improved, standardized, and audited company reporting, particularly through EU regulations like the CSRD and EU Taxonomy, is essential to provide the data necessary for effective systems-level analysis.

CAPE argues that Canada's Sustainable Agriculture Strategy must move beyond climate change to include a 'planetary health' lens, specifically addressing the health risks of conventional agriculture, the need for pesticide reduction, and the integration of environmental justice and Indigenous rights.

A coalition of environmental organisations opposes the Swedish EU Presidency's effort to delete Article 16 from the proposed Nature Restoration Law, which would have granted citizens and NGOs the right to challenge the legality of national restoration plans. The signatories argue that relying on recitals or the Aarhus Convention is insufficient due to inconsistent compliance across EU Member States and the risk of irreparable environmental damage, as seen in Poland and Romania.

The author contends that 'carbon farming' activities are unsuitable for carbon removal certification because they provide temporary, volatile storage that risks enabling greenwashing and delaying actual emission reductions. Instead of market-based carbon credits, the document proposes 'activity-based finance' to support farmers and foresters in adopting nature-based practices, funded by public resources or polluter-pays instruments.

GreenLatinos and partner organizations applaud the creation of the Castner Range and Avi Kwa Ame National Monuments and the introduction of the Ocean Climate Action Plan. The group highlights the benefits of these actions for public health, economic opportunity, and the protection of Indigenous sacred sites and biodiversity, particularly for Hispanic, Latino, and frontline communities in Texas and Nevada.

The report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in the global banana industry, noting that while VSS-compliant bananas grew significantly between 2008 and 2019, growth is now slowing. VSS-compliant producers can earn 60% to 100% more than conventional producers, but they struggle against artificially low conventional prices. The industry faces threats from climate change, pests like Tropical Race 4, and economic disruptions. The report argues that the costs of sustainable production must be shared across the supply chain, involving retailers, governments, and regional networks.

The document examines Senegal's climate adaptation framework, highlighting the alignment between its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the Senegal Emerging Plan for 2035. While progress is noted in sectoral adaptation plans for fisheries and livestock, and local communities have successfully implemented projects in agriculture, coastal protection, and health, significant gaps remain. Key challenges include a lack of evidence-based knowledge, insufficient integration of indigenous practices into national policy, and a substantial financing gap, with NDC needs estimated at USD 14.5 billion by 2030.

The document serves as a procurement guide for businesses integrating Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) voluntary carbon credits into their climate strategies, focusing on credits that deliver simultaneous benefits for climate change mitigation, biodiversity, and human well-being.

The Gauteng High Court dismissed an application to review the granting and transfer of mining rights to Aquila Steel and Motjoli Iron Ore, ruling that the initial award under the previous regulatory regime was lawful and that the court lacked the technical expertise to override executive decisions on environmental impacts.

The Stakeholder Toolkit lists various resources for forest monitoring and accountability. It highlights Global Forest Watch's suite of tools (Forest Watcher, GFW Pro, Radar, and MapBuilder) for tracking forest change and deforestation. It also identifies transparency and rights-based initiatives such as Trase, Supply Change, Mapeo, and the Land Rights Standard. Additionally, the document lists collaborative platforms and coalitions, including the Accountability Framework Initiative, the Tropical Forest Alliance, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and the NGO Forest Coalition, to support the implementation of forest commitments and sustainable development.