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This policy brief describes a pilot conservation incentive program led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) focused on the gopher tortoise in the southern forests of the United States. The program utilizes a market-based, pre-compliance approach to create a voluntary marketplace for conservation credits, aiming to protect habitat and prevent species from being listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) while providing regulatory certainty for developers.

This case study examines the verification of land restoration results for the Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN) project in Uganda. Funded by TerraFund and monitored by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the project aimed to restore the Rwoho Central Forest Reserve through community-led tree planting. The document highlights the discrepancies between self-reported planting data and AI-powered satellite verification, using the experience to refine monitoring methodologies for forest restoration at scale.

This case study describes how farmers in the Caatinga region of Brazil, specifically in Pintadas, Bahia, are adopting agroforestry by cultivating native trees like the umbu to diversify income and build resilience against climate change and desertification.

Bruno Mariani's company, Symbiosis Investimentos, uses scientific silviculture—including genetic improvement and cloning—to restore degraded pastureland in Bahia, Brazil, with native Atlantic Forest species. By treating native tree cultivation as a high-productivity business, the model aims to provide an economic alternative to low-yield cattle ranching, offering a 14% annual return on investment while enhancing biodiversity and sequestering carbon.

The Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE) reports that nearly 30% of global coastal land area has been altered or destroyed by human demand. Increasing coastal populations, rising nutrient pollution, overfishing, and the effects of global climate change—including rising sea levels and warmer oceans—threaten the capacity of these ecosystems to provide essential services such as food, biodiversity, and shoreline stabilization.

A fact sheet from the World Resources Institute detailing the extent, value, and rate of forest loss in Indonesia between 1990 and 2005.

This study examines 24 case studies of assisted natural regeneration (ANR) projects to identify success factors for accelerating global ecosystem restoration, biodiversity, climate action, and rural economic development.

A joint study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and World Resources Institute analyzing the condition of global agroecosystems, finding that food production growth has occurred at the expense of biodiversity, water quality, carbon storage, and soil health.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) Strategic Plan 2023-27 outlines a shift toward an interconnected approach to address systemic crises in climate, nature, and human well-being by transforming the human systems driving unsustainable production and consumption.

A statement from the Board of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment outlining ten key messages regarding the impact of human activity on global ecosystems and the resulting threats to human well-being.

This report provides a framework for REDD+ countries to establish national systems for implementing the seven UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards. It details a structure based on goals, functions, rules, and institutions, and advises governments to assess existing institutional gaps before implementing new laws or agencies to protect biodiversity and local people's rights.

A World Resources Institute report analyzing the increasing competition for land driven by global demand for food, wood, and shelter, and its impact on carbon storage and biodiversity.

This research paper from the World Resources Institute proposes a framework to limit new cropland expansion to lands with "low environmental opportunity costs" to avoid the conversion of natural ecosystems. It defines specific biophysical and non-biophysical criteria for identifying such lands and suggests a three-part policy approach to direct expansion away from high-impact areas.

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute describes Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) as a middle-ground strategy for restoring degraded land at scale, contrasting it with waiting for native vegetation to grow or planting new trees.

This executive summary outlines a global dialogue on ensuring that the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. It argues that the pandemic serves as a warning for the climate and biodiversity crises and advocates for a 'green and resilient recovery' that prioritizes people, nature-based solutions, and the phase-out of high-carbon industries.

This case study describes how the French cosmetics company Yves Rocher used the Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) framework in 2009 to develop a corporate-wide biodiversity strategy. The process led to the creation of an action plan focused on supply chain resilience, facility management, and customer communication to secure raw material inputs and enhance brand value.

This fact sheet describes LandMark, an interactive global platform launched in 2015 and redesigned in 2024 to help Indigenous Peoples and local communities map and document their land rights and secure tenure.

This teaching note, prepared by Mark B. Milstein for the World Resources Institute, analyzes the corporate strategy and competitive advantage of the Weyerhaeuser Company. It focuses on the company's transition toward sustainable forestry and the strategic challenges it faces as it expands its high-yield plantation model internationally.

A World Resources Institute fact sheet identifying over two billion hectares of global potential for forest and landscape restoration, primarily in tropical and temperate regions. It distinguishes between wide-scale, mosaic, and remote restoration opportunities and emphasizes a holistic approach that integrates local stakeholders and diverse land uses to improve biodiversity, food security, and climate mitigation.

This case study by the World Resources Institute examines the large-scale forest landscape restoration in South Korea from the mid-1950s to the present, detailing the drivers, enabling conditions, and outcomes of the process.