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The 2023 assessment of the Forest Declaration reveals that the world is failing to meet 2030 targets to stop deforestation, with 2022 gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some regions like tropical Asia show progress, massive losses continue in Latin America, Africa, and boreal/temperate forests. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only $2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and highlights that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies risking tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development paths and the prioritization of indigenous peoples and local communities as effective forest managers.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to eliminate deforestation by 2030, with global gross deforestation in 2022 reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some countries and regions, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, show progress, these are outweighed by massive losses in Latin America, Africa, North America, and Europe. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that only USD 2.2 billion in annual public funds are channeled to forests, while private financial institutions provided USD 6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies at risk of driving tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development pathways, increased transparency, and direct investment in Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure forest ecosystems.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment argues that a radical transformation of development pathways and finance is necessary to stop forest loss. It calls for a shift from 'business-as-usual' extraction to rights-based governance, urging signatories of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration to increase transparency and data collection. Key recommendations include redirecting 'gray' finance toward 'green' finance, securing land tenure for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and implementing mandatory corporate disclosures to eliminate deforestation from supply chains.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that global finance for forests is severely inadequate, with 'gray' finance (subsidies driving deforestation) vastly outweighing 'green' finance. Public green finance averages USD 2.2 billion annually, less than 1% of estimated needs. Private financial institutions continue to provide trillions in financing to high-risk companies, while the voluntary carbon market faces declining demand and pricing due to integrity concerns. The report highlights a critical funding gap for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who receive only 3% of the finance needed for tenure reform.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that while global protected area coverage is increasing, significant gaps remain in the legal recognition of Indigenous and local community lands, with 1.375 billion hectares still unrecognized. The report highlights a sharp contrast in Brazil, where political leadership under President Lula da Silva led to a 42% drop in Amazon deforestation in early 2022, while other regions face high risks of illegal logging due to corruption. It notes the emergence of demand-side measures like the EU's Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) and a global rise in climate litigation to protect forests. However, environmental defenders remain the most targeted human rights defenders, with 194 killings recorded in 2022.

Global Witness reports that at least 177 land and environmental defenders were murdered in 2022, with Latin America accounting for 88% of these cases. The report highlights the extreme danger faced by Indigenous peoples, who represented 36% of those killed, and identifies the Amazon as a critical hotspot where 22% of global killings occurred. It specifically examines the role of illegal gold mining in Brazil, Venezuela, and Peru, and the impact of the 'green transition' mineral boom in Southeast Asia. The document argues that impunity for these crimes is systemic and calls for stronger corporate accountability, specifically through the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.

Global Witness asserts that the financial sector is failing to meet its voluntary deforestation pledges, noting that institutions without 'zero deforestation' policies invested $3.6 trillion in forest-risk companies last year. The author calls for financial leaders to support mandatory due diligence laws in the EU, UK, and US, and for Chinese banks to prioritize deforestation risks in their ESG guidance to prevent irreversible tipping points in forests like the Amazon.

In 2022, Global Witness documented at least 177 killings of land and environmental defenders, with 88% occurring in Latin America. Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico accounted for over 70% of these deaths. The report highlights a critical situation in the Amazon, where 22% of global killings occurred, often linked to illegal mining and agroindustry. It also details the 'criminalization' of activists as a non-lethal strategy to silence dissent. The document advocates for the EU's proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to hold companies accountable for human rights and environmental abuses in their global supply chains.

The document analyzes the gap between the formal legal recognition of climate justice and its practical application in Africa's mining and petroleum sectors. It highlights systemic failures in enforcement, the limitations of current judicial and administrative sanctions, and the marginalization of local communities. The report advocates for a shift toward 'active' judiciaries, the adoption of specific climate laws, and the strengthening of corporate due diligence to protect vulnerable populations from the environmental and social impacts of extractive activities.

The report argues that trade policy can either exacerbate or support biodiversity conservation. It identifies specific entry points within the WTO—including existing rules on subsidies and intellectual property, and new member-led initiatives—that can be aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The document proposes a 'nature-positive trade' approach involving the promotion of environmental goods and services, sustainable supply chain drivers, and the reform of harmful subsidies.

The document examines the interplay between regulatory requirements and voluntary sustainability standards in the agricultural sector. It highlights how these instruments can drive sustainable production but may also create trade barriers for smallholder farmers and MSMEs in developing countries. The brief advocates for a 'smart mix' of mandatory and voluntary approaches, supported by technological advances in traceability and the potential development of a global 'Codex Planetarius' for minimum environmental standards.

The Corporate Climate Stocktake 2023 reveals that while clean technology adoption is accelerating in sectors like power and road transport, systemic barriers—including infrastructure gaps, high 'green premiums', and workforce shortages—persist. The report argues that national emissions targets alone are insufficient and calls for multilateral coordination of industrial policy and sector-specific strategies to drive the diffusion of clean technologies.

WRI Europe's 2023-2027 strategy focuses on transforming the food, land, water, energy, and city systems to achieve interconnected goals for people, nature, and climate. The strategy emphasizes Europe's role as a driver, consumer, and partner for change, specifically supporting the implementation of the EU Green Deal and managing the impacts of the energy transition, such as the demand for rare minerals. WRI Europe aims to act as an enabling office for focus countries with large emerging economies while addressing Europe's own environmental footprint through data-driven solutions and partnerships like the Systems Transformation Hub in Brussels.

The WRI Europe Strategy (2023-2027) positions the Europe office as a strategic hub to accelerate the global energy and nature transition. It focuses on three primary roles: driving positive change through leadership in sectors like food and energy efficiency, reducing Europe's own ecological footprint as a consumer, and acting as a partner for funding and knowledge. Key priorities include implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), reducing the carbon footprint of meals via the Coolfood initiative, and developing a Distributional Impact Assessment Tool to ensure equitable transitions. The strategy also emphasizes leveraging Europe's circular economy leadership to improve mineral recycling for the clean energy transition and supporting sustainable ocean management through the Ocean Panel.

WRI's 2023-2027 Strategic Plan shifts the organization from a focus on commitments to delivering tangible impact on the ground. The strategy centers on three interconnected global goals: improving human well-being (People), protecting ecosystem health (Nature), and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C (Climate). To achieve these, WRI targets transitions in three 'Human-Centered Systems'—food, land and water; energy; and cities—supported by shifts in 'Enabling Systems' including economics, finance, and governance. The plan prioritizes 12 focus countries and a network of 25 priority cities, utilizing a new results framework based on theories of change to measure progress toward 2027 and 2030 targets.

The 2023 Year in Review for the Corporate Consultative Group (CCG) outlines how WRI partners with the private sector to accelerate the energy transition and protect nature. The report details member benefits such as 'Tailored Advice' and 'MindShare' events, while aligning corporate engagement with WRI's 2023–2027 Strategic Plan. It highlights specific goals for decarbonizing energy, halting deforestation, and shifting finance, noting that CCG members provide critical unrestricted funds and practical input to ensure WRI's research is fit for corporate application.

The report highlights that community-held lands, covering approximately 50% of the world's land, often exhibit higher species richness and lower deforestation rates than state-managed protected areas (PAs). It argues that tenure security is fundamental to these positive outcomes, citing significant reductions in forest clearing in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazons following land titling. Despite this, the document notes a severe funding gap, with only a small fraction of global biodiversity finance reaching community organizations. It also warns that 'fortress conservation' has led to mass evictions and human rights violations, calling for a shift toward rights-based conservation and the use of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to meet global targets like the 30x30 goal.

WRI Brasil's 2023–2027 strategy focuses on transforming cities and food, land, and water systems to reduce inequality and protect ecosystems. Key goals include achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, expanding green urban infrastructure, and promoting a 'bioeconomy' in the Amazon. The strategy emphasizes a 'count it, change it, scale it' approach, leveraging research and partnerships to implement nature-based climate solutions and sustainable agriculture.

The document examines the anti-corruption potential of the Escazú Agreement in Colombia, arguing that its pillars of transparency, public participation, and justice can mitigate the abuse of power for private gain. It details WWF Colombia's work evaluating Decrees 1384 and 1396 (which implement Law 70 of 1993 regarding Afro-Colombian land and resource rights) against these pillars. The research found a pattern of inadequate access to environmental information, leading to recommendations for reforms such as establishing an environmental function within the National Ombudsman's office and improving prior consultation methodologies for ethnic communities.

The report examines the significant environmental impacts of animal feed, which accounts for 41% of livestock's global greenhouse gas emissions and 98% of its freshwater use. It proposes four key solutions: Responsible Sourcing to end land conversion, Regenerative Agriculture to improve soil health and carbon sequestration, Circular Ingredients to utilize food waste and by-products, and Feeding Innovations to improve efficiency and reduce enteric methane. The document emphasizes that these solutions require a strong enabling environment, including better data transparency, supportive public policy, and strong market signals across the fragmented feed value chain.