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Representative Chrissy Houlahan issued a statement in the Congressional Record congratulating the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) on its 40th anniversary. She highlights EESI's role as a nonpartisan partner to the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, providing science-based resources on topics such as carbon sequestration, natural climate solutions, and the Farm Bill to help policymakers develop durable climate legislation.

The document explains that fall foliage is driven by day length, temperature, and rainfall, all of which are being altered by climate change. While the effects are complex and vary by species and latitude, warming fall nights and increased weather extremes like drought and wildfires are disrupting traditional leaf cycles. This has implications for both the tourism economy and the capacity of forests to sequester carbon.

The project utilizes the Antares network of eight time-series stations across Latin America to study phytoplankton's role in regulating and supporting ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration and fisheries support. By integrating in situ data from 40 sampling cruises with remote sensing and bio-geochemical modeling, the team aims to understand how climate-driven changes in the ocean environment affect these services and the coastal populations that depend on them. Initial findings indicate that fish productivity in the South Brazil Bight is likely food-limited, as potential yields based on primary production significantly exceed reported FAO catches.

The document argues that the EU has failed its legal deadline to end overfishing by 2020 and calls for 2025 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to be set well below scientific advice to build ecosystem resilience against climate change. It specifically recommends stricter management for the Western Mediterranean, depleted stocks with zero-catch advice, and deep-sea species, while urging the full implementation of the Landing Obligation through remote electronic monitoring.

The briefing examines the role of deep sea mining in providing minerals like cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese for clean energy technologies. It concludes that deep sea mining is unlikely to solve immediate supply crunches because the necessary technology for commercial extraction and processing is not yet available, and the steepest growth in mineral demand is expected before 2035. The document highlights significant environmental risks, regulatory uncertainty surrounding the International Seabed Authority (ISA), and the potential for alternatives such as sustainable land mining, recycling, and material substitution to meet demand.

The report analyzes eight nature-based solutions (NbS) case studies across the EU and China, focusing on land, water, urban, and financing ecosystems. It evaluates these projects against the UNEA-5 definition and IUCN Global Standard, highlighting successes in large-scale landscape restoration and the role of research programs like Horizon 2020. Key findings emphasize that while NbS are increasingly mainstreamed, challenges remain in inclusive governance and private sector financing. The document recommends enhanced bilateral lesson-sharing, the development of a global costs-benefits database, and the use of standardized assessment tools to prevent greenwashing.

The Growth Next-Generation Agriculture (GAN) is a proposed BRL 250 million (USD 44.4 million) blended finance debt fund designed to support the transition to regenerative agriculture in Brazil. By providing working capital to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that produce biological inputs (bio-inputs), GAN enables these SMEs to offer credit to farmers, reducing the sector's reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The instrument utilizes a Brazilian financial structure involving Fundo de Investimento em Direitos Creditórios (FIDC) investing in Agricultural Receivables Certificates (CRAs), supported by a proprietary AI credit assessment tool from Traive Finance. The fund includes a technical assistance facility managed by Folio Institute to train farmers and SMEs in regenerative practices. GAN targets environmental outcomes including the transition of 2 million hectares to regenerative practices and the annual avoidance of 2,312 tons of CO2e.

Regenera Ventures is a 10-year equity fund targeting the Mexican agricultural sector to build climate resilience through regenerative management. The fund utilizes redeemable equity and technical assistance to bridge financing gaps for SMEs and startups across the regenerative value chain, including direct production, added-value processes, market game-changers, and regenerative infrastructure. It aims to mobilize USD 20-26 million in private capital and plans to scale to other Latin American countries, such as Colombia, within 4 to 5 years.

The SPV for Silvopasture Scaling aims to transition medium-sized Colombian cattle farms from conventional to sustainable practices by providing capital and technical assistance. It utilizes a profit-sharing model based on productivity gains and the sale of carbon credits to avoid the debt-aversion barriers typical of traditional loans. The instrument is structured into three facilities: SPS Implementation, Carbon Credit, and Technical Assistance. A pilot in El Cesar will test the model before potential scaling to other regions of Colombia and countries like Brazil and Mexico.

The Landbanking Group (TLG) is introducing Nature Equity Assets (NEAs), a new asset class that uses real-time Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) technology to value the ecological uplift of High Integrity Forests (HIFs) and regenerative agriculture. The instrument employs a blended finance approach, providing discounted loans to land stewards—primarily Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs)—who repay the capital through commodity sales and outcome-based payments from corporate or government funders. Initial pilot projects are targeting the soy and cacao value chains in Brazil, with future expansions planned for Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Quantitative modeling suggests that regenerative agriculture is more profitable for land stewards than conventional methods, though standalone conservation projects currently require concessional grants to be viable.

The document examines the tensions between the industrial growth strategy of South Africa's beef sector and the goals of a just transition. It highlights a 'dualistic' industry where commercial production is highly concentrated and intensive, while smallholder farmers face significant barriers to market entry. The report argues that current efforts to integrate smallholders into commercial value chains may benefit only a small elite and fail to address broader agrarian inequalities. Ecologically, it notes that beef cattle are the largest source of agricultural GHG emissions in South Africa, primarily through enteric fermentation. While the industry promotes 'sustainable intensification' and regenerative grazing, the report cautions that these may not offset total emissions growth and may not address the socio-economic distribution of emissions. It concludes that a just transition requires setting ambitious emission limits, redistributing productive resources like land, and reconfiguring labour markets to improve conditions for farm workers.

The Nature-Based Solutions Inventory for Fiji catalogues various projects across the country's ecosystems, highlighting a concentration of efforts in the northern and western divisions. The inventory reveals a primary focus on coastal protection through mangrove planting and hybrid seawalls, alongside riverbank stabilization using vetiver grass and reforestation of native forests. These initiatives aim to address climate risks such as sea level rise, tidal surges, and flooding, while simultaneously tackling biodiversity loss and improving food security for local communities.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) advises the US Treasury to distinguish between different Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices when calculating carbon intensity (CI) scores under section 45Z. CATF argues that no-till farming and planting cover crops should not be credited because their effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) are difficult to measure empirically, take years to occur, and are reversible. In contrast, the use of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer may remain creditable as its emissions reductions occur within a single growing season and are more easily quantified. Additionally, CATF asserts that section 45Z does not permit SOC offsets because the required methodology, such as CORSIA, does not credit SOC improvements due to permanence concerns. The document suggests that harvesting cover crops for permanent underground sequestration should be treated as a separate, potentially creditable practice if robust verification is in place.

The study evaluates carbon storage in Thailand's Lower Songkhram River Basin, projecting that a conservation scenario by 2040 would increase carbon storage to 25.63 Tg C and flooded forests by 12.8%, whereas a business-as-usual scenario would result in a 39.8% loss of flooded forests and a decrease in carbon storage to 19.43 Tg C. The economic value of carbon sequestration under the conservation scenario is estimated at approximately USD 782 million, supporting the implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and REDD+.

The document argues that agroecology-aligned practices—such as agroforestry, intercropping, and legume rotation—enhance climate resilience by improving yields with fewer synthetic inputs, increasing biodiversity, and sequestering carbon. It highlights that combining multiple practices maximises benefits, which often increase over time, although outcomes remain highly context-specific. The paper also links these practices to improved farmer health by reducing pesticide exposure and suggests that agroforestry and soil carbon sequestration can significantly support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Agriculture Production Criteria provide a framework for certifying agri-food production assets and entities. The criteria focus on two primary mitigation elements: reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions (specifically N2O, CH4, and CO2) and sequestering carbon in agricultural soils and biomass. A mandatory precondition for all certifications is that the land must be deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF). For entities and sustainability-linked debt, the document defines 'Aligned' and 'Transition' tiers based on whether the entity's emission intensity meets a 1.5°C transition pathway immediately or by 2030. The framework also incorporates mandatory safeguards for climate adaptation and resilience, biodiversity, water management, social standards, and animal welfare to prevent unintended negative impacts.

The document is a formal statement by a coalition of NGOs and academics criticizing the FAO's 'Pathways towards Lower Emissions' report for underestimating the climate mitigation potential of dietary shifts. The authors argue that the report contains systemic biases and methodological failures, such as double-counting emissions and using obsolete dietary guidelines. They call for a retraction of the report, a delay of the upcoming 2050 Roadmap report until these issues are addressed, and greater transparency regarding the GLEAM livestock emissions methodology.

The report outlines the development of updated eligibility criteria for agriculture production (crop and livestock) under the Climate Bonds Standard. It establishes a science-based framework for transition finance, focusing on absolute intensity pathways to reach net-zero by 2050. The document details mitigation strategies, including the reduction of methane and nitrous oxide and the enhancement of carbon sequestration, while introducing safeguards for adaptation, biodiversity, water, and animal welfare.

The Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre analyzed the Bring Back Our Trees project in Kasese, Uganda, which aims to reforest 30,270 hectares to combat climate-driven floods and landslides. The analysis found that the nature-based infrastructure approach generates a total net benefit of USD 69.1 million, providing a return of USD 5.44 for every dollar invested. Beyond flood mitigation, the interventions support carbon sequestration, biodiversity, job creation, and soil erosion prevention.

The report exposes how 'Big Ag' employs a playbook of distraction, delay, and obstruction—similar to tactics used by the tobacco and oil industries—to prevent the regulation of agricultural emissions and the transition to plant-based diets. Through the analysis of 22 major companies, the authors find that these corporations use greenwashing, industry-funded science to downplay methane's impact, and aggressive lobbying to maintain a 'carrot without a stick' policy environment where changes remain voluntary and subsidized.