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The report identifies that deforestation in the Amazon biome is heavily concentrated in federal public areas and private properties, with a significant acceleration in both since 2019. It argues that the federal government should prioritize rural settlements and the regularization of undesignated public forests, while state governments should focus on implementing the Forest Code on private lands. The analysis emphasizes that coordination between these two levels of government is essential for territorial ordering and effective environmental enforcement.

The document argues that Brazil's Plano Safra must align with climate goals by prioritizing low-carbon credit lines, improving rural insurance for climate resilience, and redirecting constitutional funds toward small-scale sustainable producers.

The policy brief examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can bridge data gaps and provide evidence for governments reporting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Through an analysis of 13 VSS, the authors demonstrate high alignment with SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and provide guidelines for governments to integrate VSS data and case studies into their national reporting processes.

The report examines the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically focusing on how VSS data can alleviate government reporting burdens in Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Through benchmarking 13 VSSs against five SDGs (2, 6, 8, 12, and 15) and providing practical reporting examples for Uganda, India, and Tanzania, the document demonstrates that VSSs can provide granular, on-the-ground data and 'best practice' case studies that complement state-centric reporting. It concludes with generic guidelines for governments to improve coordination with VSS bodies to advance the 2030 Agenda.

Reclaim Finance argues that French savers struggle to align their investments with ESG preferences due to a lack of transparency. To resolve this, the brief proposes a mandatory three-color indicator for all retail savings products, categorizing funds based on their exposure to controversial activities such as fossil fuels, deforestation, weaponry, human rights violations, and tobacco. The proposal includes specific thresholds for these ratings and suggests legal amendments to the French Consumer Code to mandate this disclosure.

The document argues that climate coverage must expand beyond problem-focused reporting to include solutions to empower audiences and policymakers. It defines solutions journalism as rigorous, evidence-based reporting that investigates the effectiveness and limitations of responses to the climate crisis. The guide emphasizes equity and justice, noting that marginalized communities—including indigenous peoples, who manage lands containing "approximately the 80% of the biodiversity that remains in the world"—are often the most impacted yet least responsible for the crisis. It categorizes potential story leads into five areas: policy and government (e.g., carbon pricing and subsidies), economy and business (e.g., scrutinizing "greenwash" and "net zero" claims), technologies and practices (distinguishing between mitigation and adaptation), civil society (evaluating the "theory of change" behind activism), and culture (the role of arts and celebrities). The guide concludes that while not all reporting should be solutions-oriented, integrating this mindset is essential to providing a complete picture of the climate emergency.

The Forest Declaration Assessment identifies a significant funding gap for global forest goals, estimating a need for up to USD 460 billion annually for protection and restoration. Simultaneously, it highlights a conflict in public spending, where agricultural subsidies—termed "gray" finance—amount to between USD 378 and USD 635 billion per year in activities potentially harmful to forests.

The author argues that while governments can implement unilateral trade-related tools to promote sustainable agriculture, transboundary environmental challenges require multilateral coordination through the WTO. The paper identifies three 'windows of opportunity' for the WTO: addressing environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies, managing sustainability requirements and standards to reduce costs for developing countries, and utilizing the new work program on food insecurity to build resilience in least developed countries and net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs).

The paper examines the rise of trade measures based on non-product-related process and production methods (PPMs) used to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and human rights. It analyzes the legal requirements for such measures to be WTO-compliant, highlighting the importance of non-discrimination and proportionality. The authors provide examples of current PPM-based policies, including forced labour import bans, deforestation-free supply chain regulations, and sustainability-linked tariff preferences in regional trade agreements, while noting ongoing WTO disputes between the EU, Indonesia, and Malaysia over biofuels.

The project aims to reduce GHG emissions by 4.6 million tCO2eq over four years and increase the resilience of 273,700 direct beneficiaries and 2.1 million hectares of ecosystems in Northern Lao PDR. It focuses on three components: strengthening the enabling environment for REDD+ through climate-informed land use planning and sustainable finance; promoting deforestation-free agricultural practices and supporting agri-MSMEs via matching grants; and implementing sustainable forest landscape management and restoration in village and conservation forests.

The RECEM-Valles project is a 10-year climate adaptation initiative in Bolivia's Valles Macro-region, requesting USD 33.3 million from the GCF and USD 30 million in co-financing. It aims to benefit 81,551 direct households by transitioning from conventional agriculture to resilient agroecological systems. The project focuses on four components: implementing climate-resilient technologies (such as solar tents and anti-hail nets), modernizing on-farm irrigation to combat drought, restoring 17,510 hectares of micro-watersheds, and strengthening local governance and financial access through innovative insurance and credit products. The project is designed to align with Bolivia's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the Joint Mitigation and Adaptation Mechanism (JMAM).

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.

The document argues that Japan's use of biomass co-firing and coal-to-biomass conversion is greenwashing that prolongs the life of inefficient coal plants and destroys forest ecosystems. It highlights that 31 coal-fired units in Japan already co-fire with biomass and that wood pellet imports increased 61-fold over the last decade to 4.41 million tons in 2022. The signatories claim that treating biomass as "carbon neutral" ignores lifecycle emissions and that METI's accounting methods allow inefficient plants to appear efficient. The NGOs urge the Japanese government to exit coal regardless of co-firing, stop supporting biomass power plants using non-waste fuels, and account for biomass combustion emissions at the plant and national levels.

The document argues that Japan's use of biomass co-firing in coal plants and the conversion of these plants to dedicated biomass facilities is 'greenwashing'. It claims these practices accelerate climate change by emitting CO2 and prolonging the life of inefficient coal plants, while simultaneously driving deforestation and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia and North America to meet the rising demand for wood pellets.

The guide argues that climate coverage must move beyond focusing solely on the problem to show that the crisis is solvable, emphasizing evidence-based solutions journalism. It outlines a framework for reporting on government policies, business practices, technological mitigation and adaptation, civil society actions, and cultural influences. The document warns reporters to prioritize the political and economic battles over 'techno-fixes' and to highlight the urgency for marginalized communities who suffer disproportionately from climate impacts.

The report finds that Nestlé's net-zero plan fails to meet any of the nine relevant UN Integrity Matters recommendations. It highlights a critical 'methane blindspot,' where the company avoids setting specific methane targets despite dairy and livestock being its largest emission sources. The analysis argues that Nestlé uses 'creative accounting' via business-as-usual scenarios to mask minimal absolute emission reductions and relies on unverified regenerative agriculture and insetting to meet goals. Furthermore, the report identifies greenwashing in the carbon-neutral claims of flagship brands like Nespresso and KitKat, which rely heavily on unreliable offsets.

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.

The document argues that financial service providers (FSPs) often avoid agricultural investments in developing countries due to perceived risks, but that VSSs can mitigate these risks by requiring sustainable practices and better governance. While VSSs show high coverage of legal compliance, soil and water conservation, and labour rights, they lack sufficient criteria regarding economic viability, transparency, and climate adaptation. The brief provides recommendations for FSPs, VSS providers, and governments to better align sustainability standards with financial requirements to close the investment gap.

The document argues that financial service providers (FSPs) often avoid agricultural investments in developing countries due to perceived risks. It finds that while voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) provide high coverage for legal compliance, labor rights, and forest conservation, they lack sufficient criteria for economic viability, transparency, and climate adaptation. The brief recommends that FSPs integrate VSS into ESG due diligence and that governments provide land tenure and financial incentives to support VSS-compliant farmers.

The policy brief examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in reducing the perceived risks that deter financial service providers (FSPs) from investing in sustainable agriculture in developing countries. By analyzing 12 VSS across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, the report finds that while VSS provide high coverage for legal compliance, labor rights, and soil and water conservation, they lack sufficient criteria for economic viability, anti-corruption, and climate adaptation. The document recommends that VSS incorporate more business-oriented criteria and that FSPs use VSS for ESG due diligence and the structuring of sustainability-linked financial products.