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The document emphasizes that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires increasing the capacity of global carbon sinks through land-use management. Drawing on an IPCC special report, it identifies four high-potential mitigation categories: BECCS, reforestation/forest restoration, afforestation, and biochar. The author advocates for a 'portfolio' approach tailored to regional conditions, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas, while warning that high land demand could pressure food prices and biodiversity. Key success factors include prioritizing optimal biomass conversion, developing multifunctional landscapes, ensuring fair community participation, prioritizing the avoidance of deforestation, and increasing R&D for biochar and BECCS.

The briefing discusses the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, highlighting the need to accelerate action due to IPCC warnings and youth-led climate strikes. It notes that while mitigation has seen progress with 183 parties submitting NDCs, adaptation remains severely under-implemented, particularly in developing countries. The author advocates for the integration of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) into global strategies, noting its dual benefit for resilience and carbon sequestration, especially in Africa.

The 2019 executive summary reports that the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) is unlikely to meet its 2020 targets, as tropical deforestation continues at an unsustainable rate. While political will for restoration has increased, implementation is slow and often occurs outside natural forests. The report highlights that agricultural expansion remains the primary driver of forest loss, and that current financial and policy interventions are insufficient to catalyze systemic change.

The 2019 five-year assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) concludes that the 2020 targets for halving tropical deforestation and restoring 150 million hectares of land are likely impossible to achieve. Tropical deforestation continues at an unsustainable pace, with a 44% increase in the loss of humid tropical primary forests compared to the 2002–2013 baseline. While Indonesia saw a reduction in deforestation in 2017–2018, Latin America remains the region with the highest annual tree cover loss. Forest restoration efforts have been slow, with only 18% of the 2020 goal realized as of April 2019, and most gains occurring outside of natural forests. The report highlights a critical lack of 'green' finance, noting that development finance for agriculture is 15 times higher than climate mitigation finance for forestry. It argues that systemic change is hindered by inadequate corporate commitments, slow governance improvements, and the continued prioritization of short-term commercial profits over long-term conservation.

The 2019 five-year assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) concludes that achieving the 2020 goals of halving tropical deforestation and restoring 150 million hectares of degraded landscapes is likely impossible. Despite political commitments, tropical deforestation continues at an unsustainable rate, driven primarily by agricultural commodity expansion. While some progress is noted in Indonesia, significant losses persist in Latin America and the Brazilian Amazon. Restoration efforts have largely occurred outside natural forests, and financial investments in forest protection remain critically low compared to other climate mitigation efforts. The report emphasizes that systemic change requires coordinated action across supply chains, increased 'green' financing, stronger governance, and the recognition of indigenous land rights.

The report analyzes perspectives from 84 NYDF endorsers, including governments, companies, NGOs, and indigenous peoples. It finds that while many individual actions have been taken, global deforestation has accelerated by 44% since 2014, and the world is not on track to meet its collective forest goals. The document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level commitments must transition to measurable implementation supported by strong governance, secure land tenure for indigenous peoples, and a paradigm shift in forest finance to move from 'grey to green' investments.

The report evaluates the five-year progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), concluding that while localized successes exist, global efforts are not on track to meet 2020 and 2030 goals. It identifies eight core lessons, emphasizing that political will, strong governance, and secure land tenure for indigenous peoples are critical for success. The document highlights a significant gap between high-level commitments and ground-level implementation, noting that deforestation has accelerated by up to 44% since 2014. It calls for a paradigm shift in financing, moving from 'grey' to 'green' finance, and a stronger integration of nature-based solutions into national climate agendas.

The report evaluates the experiences of over 80 NYDF signatories, including governments, companies, NGOs, and indigenous peoples. It finds that while individual projects show success, global progress is insufficient, with tropical deforestation increasing by 44% since 2014. The document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level political will, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and secure land tenure for indigenous peoples are critical for success. It highlights systemic failures in finance, where investments in deforestation drivers vastly outweigh those for forest protection, and calls for a paradigm shift toward 'nature-based solutions' and 'green finance' to meet climate and biodiversity goals after 2020.

The report finds that despite widespread commitments, global progress toward the NYDF goals is insufficient, with tropical deforestation increasing by 44% since 2014. Through consultations with 84 signatories, the document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level political will, secure land tenure for indigenous peoples, and a shift from 'grey' to 'green' finance are critical for success. While some localized successes in REDD+ and sustainable supply chains are noted, systemic barriers—including corruption, lack of transparency in agricultural commodities, and the criminalization of forest defenders—continue to hinder large-scale implementation.

The document analyzes how human land use drives climate change and how climate change, in turn, degrades land. It highlights that while land currently acts as a net carbon sink, it could become a source of emissions. The brief emphasizes the role of agriculture and deforestation in land degradation and warns that current policy trajectories could significantly expand drylands and threaten global food security. It argues that sustainable land management, incorporating indigenous knowledge and gender-sensitive policies, is essential for limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The document outlines the legal requirements for public participation in the development of national long-term strategies (LTS) for greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2050. It asserts that the EU Governance Regulation (GR) is insufficiently clear and may not fully comply with the Aarhus Convention, which mandates early public involvement when all options are open. ClientEarth provides a consolidated procedure for compliant participation, including open access to all interested parties, active dissemination of relevant documents, and specific timeframes for consultation. The briefing notes that previous strategies submitted under the Paris Agreement are insufficient to meet current GR requirements and urges that public participation for the 2020 deadline should have commenced by September 2019.

The document details Ghana's approach to integrating climate adaptation into government policy and planning. It identifies priority sectors for adaptation—including agriculture, energy, water, health, infrastructure, gender, and forestry—and lists specific climate threats such as increased temperatures, rainfall variability, and sea level rise. It also provides a timeline of policy milestones from 2012 to 2018, including the development of the National Climate Change Policy and the submission of a NAP Readiness Proposal to the Green Climate Fund.

The report outlines outcomes from an event held during Africa Climate Week 2019 in Ghana, focusing on scaling up resilience in African agriculture. It emphasizes the need for nature-based solutions, the centrality of smallholder farmers, and the urgent requirement for climate finance to reach local levels, particularly in least developed countries. The document proposes specific actions for the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit, including halting land degradation, implementing early warning-early action systems, and integrating climate risk analysis into National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

The document examines the reciprocal relationship between climate and land in Africa, highlighting how desertification and land degradation exacerbate food insecurity and poverty. It identifies specific risks for arid zones, the disproportionate impact on women and marginalized groups, and proposes integrated governance and sustainable land management practices to build resilience.

The document examines the reciprocal relationship between climate change and land in Latin America, highlighting how land degradation and desertification threaten livelihoods and food security. It advocates for sustainable land management, integrated governance, and gender-equitable policies to enhance resilience and achieve climate goals.

The report examines the environmental and health impacts of the global livestock sector, highlighting its role in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and antimicrobial resistance. It argues that current consumption trends are incompatible with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. The document analyzes the rise of plant-based and cultured meat alternatives as disruptive innovations and criticizes the lack of government policies to drive a transition, noting that existing subsidies often support intensive farming. It recommends shifting subsidies, implementing meat taxes, and updating dietary guidelines to promote sustainable, low-emission food systems.

The report argues that Liberia's progressive community forestry model is being hijacked by logging companies and a complicit Forestry Development Authority (FDA). Companies are using secret agreements, financial coercion, and legal loopholes to secure logging rights before communities officially obtain Authorised Forest Community status. This process often involves co-opting local elites and misleading poor, forest-dependent communities, mirroring previous scandals involving Private Use Permits (PUPs). The report highlights the role of Samling Global-linked companies and warns that these practices risk triggering land disputes and deforestation, undermining Liberia's climate commitments to Norway.

The report reveals that logging in the Solomon Islands is occurring at 19 times the sustainable rate, with natural forests predicted to be exhausted by 2036. It identifies systemic illegalities, including lack of landowner consent and breaches of logging codes, while noting that local communities see few benefits. China is identified as the dominant importer, purchasing 82% of the country's logs, and is urged to regulate its supply chain to mitigate commercial and environmental risks.

The report exposes the Ngoki oil project in the Republic of Congo as a high-risk venture characterized by corruption, environmental negligence, and potentially exaggerated oil reserves. It highlights the project's threat to the world's largest tropical peatlands in the Cuvette Centrale, which store 30 billion tonnes of carbon. The investigation reveals that the project is controlled by businessman Claude Wilfrid Etoka, who has close ties to President Sassou-Nguesso's family and whose company, SARPD Oil, was dropped by BNP Paribas due to corruption risks. Furthermore, the report argues that the project's Environmental Impact Assessment is "unfit for purpose" as it predates the discovery of the peatlands. It also notes that oil majors Total and ENI have interests in the region, and calls for donors to the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and financial institutions to halt support for oil exploration in these sensitive ecosystems.

The RECAF project targets the Central Highland and South Central Coast regions of Viet Nam to mitigate emissions from the nexus of forestry and agriculture. With a total indicative cost of USD 94 million, the project seeks to reduce 6 MtCO2e over a 12-year lifespan. Key strategies include mainstreaming the National REDD+ Action Plan (NRAP) into provincial planning, developing deforestation-free value chains for commodities like coffee and rubber, and implementing a 'low emission credit' product for smallholders. The project also focuses on enhancing forest carbon stocks on 0.5 million hectares and establishing collaborative forest management (CFM) and payment for forest ecosystem services (PFES) to benefit 40,000 smallholder households.