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The We Mean Business Coalition urges governments to align NDCs with a 1.5°C pathway and the Global Stocktake outcomes to provide the policy stability necessary for business investment. The call to action focuses on three pillars: setting ambitious economy-wide and sector-specific targets, developing consistent national and sectoral policy frameworks, and establishing inclusive dialogues with the private sector to co-create implementation solutions.

Between August 22 and 25, 2024, over 60 million people in Brazil faced extreme temperatures and wildfires exacerbated by climate change. High temperatures were forecasted to be five times more likely due to global warming, with anomalies reaching up to 10°C above normal in São Paulo. Wildfires have burned over 760,000 hectares in the Amazon and 1.3 million hectares in the Pantanal, with climate change increasing Pantanal fire intensity by 40%. On August 20, PM2.5 pollution levels reached 11 times the World Health Organization's recommendations, causing increased respiratory illnesses and affecting 10 Brazilian states as well as Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru.

The study finds that the ABC Recuperação credit line has had modest effects on pasture recovery, with most areas remaining unchanged and severely degraded pastures showing little improvement. While some pasture was converted to agriculture, the program's contribution to the Plano ABC goal of recovering 15 million hectares by 2020 was estimated at a maximum of 2.5%. Technical assistance was identified as a critical factor for success, particularly for severely degraded areas. The report also notes that some areas were deforested immediately prior to receiving credit, suggesting a need for better ex-ante monitoring and the integration of risk management tools.

The executive summary evaluates the ABC Recuperação credit program in the Cerrado, finding that it has had very modest impacts on pasture quality and land use. The study highlights that the credit line contributed to at most 2.5% of the 2020 recovery goal and notes a concerning trend where some areas were converted from native vegetation to pasture before receiving credit. It recommends strengthening post-credit monitoring, improving pre-credit evaluations, and integrating technical assistance to enhance environmental outcomes.

The document introduces "climate-beneficial bioenergy," a concept developed by the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) to distinguish modern, climate-positive bioenergy from conventional systems that may cause deforestation or disrupt food supplies. To be climate-beneficial, systems must couple biomass with engineered processes to permanently store carbon, potentially achieving net carbon dioxide removal (CDR). The author argues these systems are essential for hard-to-decarbonize sectors and for counterbalancing residual emissions in sectors like agriculture. Key attributes include using waste streams, non-food crops on marginal land, or forest thinnings, and employing technologies such as gasification or pyrolysis with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The document emphasizes the need for lifecycle assessments and policy safeguards to prevent detrimental environmental and social impacts.

North Africa faces critical ecological security threats from water scarcity and advancing desertification, which are expected to intensify by 2040 due to climate change and population growth. The region is experiencing declining rainfall, extreme heat waves, and sea-level rise, which threaten food security and socio-economic stability. Key vulnerabilities include the overexploitation of groundwater and a high dependence on food imports. The document recommends a transition to sustainable agriculture, including drip irrigation and drought-resistant crops, alongside wastewater recycling and community-based resilience initiatives.

The author contends that recent US Supreme Court decisions, specifically those regarding the Chevron doctrine and the 'major questions doctrine', have crippled the government's ability to enforce environmental protections. To counter this regulatory paralysis, the author advocates for 'campaigns to change the private sector' by leveraging the needs of companies for customers, financing, and a social license to operate. The text cites the phase-out of CFCs by the Dupont Corporation and industry support for the EU Deforestation Regulation as examples of how private sector action can lead to broader environmental successes and a level playing field for competitors.

The report details a collaborative modelling effort by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, IISD, and Kiel University to address challenges in Indonesia's agrifood systems, such as food insecurity, malnutrition, and deforestation. By using three economic models, the project aims to provide technically sound and politically feasible policy interventions to support Indonesia's medium- and long-term development planning and climate commitments.

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 analysis reveals that 31% of properties that deforested in Brazil between 2020 and 2022 accessed subsidized rural credit, with a small number of large properties absorbing a significant portion of these funds. The study finds that deforestation is highly concentrated among the largest credit recipients, particularly in the Cerrado biome, and argues that current credit restrictions based on environmental embargoes are insufficient because most deforested properties are not embargoed.

The document argues that the FAO has been captured by the 'Big Livestock' sector, leading to the systematic downplaying of the environmental impacts of animal farming. It traces this shift from the 2006 'Livestock's Long Shadow' report, which highlighted livestock as a major climate driver, to more recent publications like 'Pathways towards Lower Emissions' and the 'Global Roadmap'. The author claims these later documents use flawed methodologies to lower emission estimates and prioritise industry-friendly technological fixes over necessary reductions in livestock numbers and meat consumption. The report details how industry lobbyists influence the FAO through national delegations and partnerships, resulting in a narrative that preserves the status quo of intensive livestock production.

The report identifies a 'corporate playbook' used by the meat and dairy industry to avoid environmental regulation through three main tactics: distraction (greenwashing and funding biased science), procrastination (prioritizing advertising over low-carbon R&D), and dismantling (aggressive lobbying to weaken climate policies). It highlights how these strategies are applied globally, particularly in the EU, US, and Brazil, to maintain the status quo of animal agriculture.

The report finds that 31% of properties that deforested in Brazil between 2020 and 2022 accessed subsidized rural credit, receiving an average of R$ 14 billion annually. This deforestation is highly concentrated in large properties, with the largest 5% of credit recipients accounting for 74% of the associated vegetation loss. The Cerrado biome is the most affected, containing 50% of the deforestation associated with subsidized credit. The authors argue that current restrictions, such as environmental embargos, are insufficient as less than 5% of new deforestation areas were embarged. They recommend that subsidized credit be granted exclusively to properties without any deforestation, regardless of the legality of the suppression.

The report examines how the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) uses financial regulation to curb deforestation, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. It details the BCB's 'Agenda BC# Sustainability', which integrates social, environmental, and climate risks into the national financial system. A central pillar of this strategy is the reform of rural credit, where the BCB has implemented restrictions on financing for properties with illegal deforestation, lack of environmental registration (CAR), or those located in protected areas. The document also highlights the role of the 'Bureau de Crédito Rural' and the 'Sicor' system in monitoring compliance in real-time.

The report examines how the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) is leveraging its regulatory authority to align the national financial system with environmental goals. It details the BCB's 'BC# Sustainability Agenda', which introduces risk management requirements for social, environmental, and climate risks, and mandates disclosures based on TCFD recommendations. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on rural credit, where the BCB has implemented restrictions on financing for properties that violate the Forest Code or are located in protected areas. The report highlights the role of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Rural Credit Bureau (SICOR) in monitoring compliance and suggests further integration of remote sensing data to enhance oversight.

The report evaluates how nature-related risks impact business profits and credit losses in five African banking systems. It finds that an 'orderly transition' aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) minimizes financial risks, whereas a 'disorderly transition' can lead to significant profit losses and increased credit losses, particularly in agriculture and mining. The analysis highlights that nature-related risks in these sectors are comparable in scale to climate-related risks in emissions-intensive sectors.

The RAI Tool is a Microsoft Excel-based reference tool developed by IISD and Cerise+SPTF to help agribusinesses align their operations with the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards. It focuses on seven dimensions of responsible conduct, ranging from strategy and accountability to financial transparency. The tool is intended as a management and conversation starter rather than a rating system, guiding users through a three-phase assessment process: preparation (including desk reviews), field visits and interviews, and the development of a prioritised action plan to address identified gaps.

The study analyzes LULC trends in Turkana, Narok, West Pokot, and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, finding that achieving a 10% forest cover target yields the most favorable environmental and agricultural outcomes by 2050. It warns against the 'Shamba system' of forest-to-cropland conversion and highlights the threat of invasive species, particularly Prosopis juliflora, in arid regions.

Between June 16 and 24, 2024, approximately 4.97 billion people—over 60% of the global population—were exposed to extreme heat that was at least three times more likely to occur due to climate change. The analysis, using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), highlights severe impacts across India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and the United States, as well as lethal heat waves in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Egypt.

The study analyzes land-system changes in the Gran Chaco from 1985 to 2015 and simulates futures up to 2045 across nine scenarios. It finds that the 'Agribusiness' narrative leads to the most severe social-ecological impacts, with 10% of the region already following this pathway. Potential hotspots for vegetation loss include western and southern Argentinian Chaco and western Paraguayan Chaco. The authors argue that stricter land-use and conservation planning are necessary to protect the region's biodiversity, carbon density, and forest-dependent communities.