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The Heritage Colombia (HECO) project is a 10-year initiative designed to protect and restore landscapes in Colombia through a Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model. It targets five mosaics—Caribbean, San Lucas, Central Andes, Orinoco Transition, and Heart of the Amazon—covering 6.6 million hectares. The project focuses on strengthening governance, establishing participatory climate monitoring systems, and implementing land restoration and rehabilitation to reduce GHG emissions and improve water regulation. It requests USD 43 million from the GCF, complemented by USD 102.2 million in co-financing from the Government of Colombia and WWF. Key goals include the gazettement of the San Lucas Mountains protected area and the expansion of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park.

Carbon Market Watch argues that Article 6.4 methodologies must shift from incremental benefits to transformational activities to avoid eroding climate ambition. The organization advocates for the use of dynamic baseline contraction factors (BCFs) that trend toward zero by 2050, the implementation of 'negative lists' to exclude non-additional or fossil-fuel-linked projects, and the rejection of short-term sequestration activities as offsets due to non-permanence risks.

The U.S. aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provide significant reductions, a gap of approximately 810 million tonnes CO2e remains. The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) proposes a 'high impact' scenario leveraging Clean Air Act regulatory authority and agriculture/forestry spending to close this gap.

Carbon Market Watch urges Verra to move away from the 'tonne-for-tonne' offsetting model, particularly for AFOLU projects, due to permanence risks and the potential for corporate greenwashing. The submission recommends adopting a 'contribution model' where finance supports climate action without claiming neutrality. It also calls for greater financial transparency regarding intermediaries, a more accessible and independent grievance mechanism for indigenous peoples and local communities, and the banning of methodologies that support fossil fuel infrastructure.

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.

Embodied carbon, which accounts for 11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, refers to the emissions released during the lifecycle of building materials. Reduction strategies include using carbon-storing materials like mass timber, adopting 3D printing and robotic automation, and implementing material efficiency through modular construction. In the US, the Inflation Reduction Act provides nearly $10 billion for reducing embodied carbon, while several states have adopted 'Buy Clean' laws. RMI research indicates that low-cost embodied carbon solutions can reduce emissions by 19 to 46 percent with cost premiums under 1 percent.

The document examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in alleviating poverty for smallholder farmers, using a multidimensional framework of access to resources, opportunities, and power. While VSSs show strength in areas like labour rights and natural resource management, they often lack sufficient coverage of living income and climate adaptation. The brief argues that VSSs are a tool rather than a standalone solution, requiring an ecosystem of supporting actors, market demand, and government intervention to overcome barriers such as high certification costs and limited producer capacity.

The document argues that voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can reduce poverty by improving agricultural prices, preserving natural resources, and strengthening producer organization, provided they are integrated into broader poverty-reduction strategies. While VSS can increase income through price premiums of 10% to 30% and promote sustainable land management, their impact is often limited by high certification costs, lack of direct market access, and insufficient inclusion of women and smallholders in governance. The brief recommends that VSS incorporate requirements for living incomes and climate adaptation, while governments should support these efforts through land regularization, financial resources, and the promotion of direct trade relationships.

The report analyzes the global banana industry, highlighting the role of VSSs like Fairtrade and Organic in improving producer prices and resilience. It details the sector's high vulnerability to climate-driven pests and diseases, such as Tropical Race 4, and the economic pressures caused by retail price wars and market concentration. The document argues for a shared responsibility model across the value chain to ensure living wages and sustainable production.

The document examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in reducing poverty for smallholder farmers across three dimensions: access to resources, choices and opportunities, and voice and power. While VSS can improve crop prices and natural resource conservation, their overall impact on poverty reduction is context-dependent and often limited by high certification costs and lack of direct market access. The brief argues that VSS must be integrated into broader poverty reduction strategies and supported by governments and the private sector to be truly effective.

The Eswatini Environment Fund (EEF), managed by the Eswatini Environment Authority, provides small grants to community-led projects to promote environmental sustainability and climate resilience. The fund focuses on thematic areas including climate change adaptation, sustainable land management, and biodiversity protection. Case studies, such as the Lawuba and Shewula wetland projects, demonstrate how these investments improve water security, create alternative livelihoods for women and youth, and provide carbon sequestration co-benefits. The document argues for stronger synergies between the EEF and Eswatini's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to maximize the impact of limited finances through ecosystem-based adaptation.

The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP) is a USDA Forest Service initiative designed to mitigate climate change and increase wildfire resilience through science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes. The program focuses on sequestering carbon, reducing hazardous fuel loads, and restoring critical habitats. Funding is provided through the Farm Bill and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with specific legal requirements for project eligibility, including a minimum landscape size of 50,000 acres and a collaborative development process involving diverse stakeholders. Since its inception, the program has reduced wildfire risk on 4.5 million acres and planted 224,000 acres of forest.

ClientEarth argues that the UK government has significantly reduced its ambitions for soil health, moving from a goal of all soils being sustainably managed by 2030 to only 60% of agricultural soils. The submission highlights a fragmented regulatory landscape, poor enforcement by the Environment Agency, and the risk that the Retained EU Law Bill will create a 'regulatory gap' by removing cross-compliance standards. ClientEarth advocates for a new legal framework with binding targets, a universal definition of 'healthy soils', and a shift away from purely voluntary schemes like the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs), which they argue lack the mandatory minimum standards necessary to achieve national environmental goals.

The report examines the South African cannabis industry, arguing that current legal and regulatory frameworks create high barriers to entry that exclude traditional growers and small enterprises. It identifies critical bottlenecks in medical cannabis exports, such as the lack of mutual recognition for SAHPRA licenses in European markets, and a lack of processing capacity for industrial hemp. The authors advocate for a tiered licensing system, the legalisation of a regulated adult-use market to support inclusive growth, and the establishment of a specialised state agency to coordinate the sector's development and ensure decent work and environmental sustainability.

A survey of 938 registered U.S. voters conducted in December 2022 reveals broad support for clean energy research, energy efficiency in low-income communities, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) after it is described. While 45% of 2022 voters considered global warming an important voting issue, there is a significant gap between the desire for action and actual political engagement. Support for climate-friendly infrastructure is generally higher at the national level than the local level, and a majority of voters believe corporations and government should do more to address global warming.

The report assesses gender gaps in Colombia, specifically within rural and indigenous communities, to inform the Heritage Colombia (HECO) program's efforts in climate-responsive planning and forest management. It identifies significant disparities in land tenure, labor participation, and the burden of unpaid care work, while highlighting the risks of gender-based violence against environmental leaders. The document outlines a Gender Action Plan across three project components: strengthening governance, establishing participatory monitoring systems, and improving land and forest management, with specific targets for women's participation and the integration of gender-responsive indicators.

The Forest Territories Facility (FTF) is a proposed USD 160 million programme targeting 15 countries in Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. Managed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the facility aims to maintain the extent and functionality of tropical forests through four paradigm-shift pathways: protecting biodiversity, promoting inclusive sustainable forest management, intensifying agriculture to achieve 'zero deforestation', and stabilizing land use. The programme employs a programmatic approach, combining national-level regulatory support with local landscape-based pilot projects. Funding is requested primarily from the Green Climate Fund (USD 120 million), utilizing a mix of grants and senior loans over a 20-year lifespan.

The report examines the global cotton market, highlighting the growth of VSS-compliant cotton, which reached 25%–26% of total production by 2019. It details the vulnerabilities of cotton farmers to climate change and market volatility, noting that farmers often receive less than 10% of a garment's retail price. The document argues for better price transparency, long-term contracts, and the internalization of external costs to ensure living incomes for smallholders.

The report analyzes the global cotton industry, highlighting the growth of sustainable cotton produced under voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and the challenges posed by climate change and market volatility. It examines the disparity in value distribution across the textile supply chain, where smallholder farmers receive a minimal fraction of retail prices. While VSS like Better Cotton and Organic can improve yields and incomes, the report notes that many sustainable products are sold at conventional prices. It recommends improving contract transparency, internalizing external costs, and developing regional value chains, particularly in West Africa, to enhance resilience and farmer income.

The report establishes a baseline emissions inventory for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, identifying transportation, agriculture, and residential heating as primary emission sources. It details a methodology aligned with New York State and IPCC guidelines, providing county-level breakdowns and a baseline projection that suggests a slight increase in total emissions by 2050.