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The complaint argues that TIAA/Nuveen engages in systematic greenwashing by marketing sustainable ESG products while maintaining substantial holdings in coal, oil, and gas, and acquiring land in Brazil linked to deforestation and human rights abuses. It requests that the PRI Board investigate these practices and require corrective actions, including full divestment from fossil fuels by 2025.

The document is a call to action from a coalition of civil society, smallholders' and Indigenous Peoples' organisations directed at EU Ministers, Commissioners, and Members of the European Parliament. It advocates for a robust EU regulation on deforestation-free products to protect biodiversity, climate, and human rights, outlining ten specific requirements for the law to be considered effective.

One year after COP26, progress on climate pledges is described as "mixed at best," with some advancements in renewable energy and net-zero targets countered by a resurgence in fossil fuel reliance due to the Russia-Ukraine war. While 24 countries updated their emissions targets and renewable capacity reached new heights, global fossil fuel subsidies nearly doubled in 2021. Financial commitments remain unmet, with developed nations still $17 billion short of the $100 billion annual goal for 2020. Efforts to curb methane and deforestation have seen expanded participation, but accountability for city-level net-zero pledges remains low due to a lack of reported emissions data.

The text, signed by members of the Think Sustainable Europe network, calls for the European Commission to propose a Sustainable Food Systems Framework (SFSF) as a key pillar of the EU Green Deal. It argues that the SFSF is essential to reduce dependence on imported feeds and fossil fertilizers, transition to healthier diets, and shift the EU from a net calorie importer to an exporter. The authors contend that competitiveness should be measured by value and sustainability standards rather than production volume, positioning the EU as a global leader in ecological trade. Furthermore, the SFSF is presented as a necessary tool for resilience against climate crises, zoonotic diseases, and economic shocks, while ensuring coherence between the EU's internal food policies and its international climate and deforestation commitments.

The document advocates for the EU to introduce the Sustainable Food System legislative framework (SFSF) in 2023 as a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal. It argues that the SFSF is essential for strengthening food system resilience against climate shocks, reducing dependence on imported animal feed and fossil-based fertilisers, and establishing high environmental and health standards that provide a competitive advantage for EU agrifood players in global markets. The authors contend that without a joined-up strategy for food consumption and production, the EU will struggle to meet its climate, biodiversity, and zero pollution goals, as well as its international commitments regarding embedded carbon and deforestation.

The document advocates for the immediate proposal of the Sustainable Food Systems Legislative Framework (SFSF) to ensure the EU's long-term food security, climate resilience, and global competitiveness. It argues that the SFSF is essential for transitioning from a net importer to a net exporter of calories by reducing reliance on fossil-fuel fertilizers and imported feed. The authors contend that the EU can maintain global leadership and competitiveness by shifting focus from production volumes to value creation based on high environmental, health, and animal welfare standards. Furthermore, the SFSF is presented as a necessary tool to ensure internal and external coherence across EU goals regarding climate, biodiversity, and deforestation, particularly concerning embedded carbon in food imports.

The document argues that Ghana's cocoa sector is plagued by high deforestation rates, poverty-driven child labour, and a lack of transparency in pricing and governance. It highlights that cocoa is the "single most important commodity driving deforestation in Ghana," with a loss rate of 3.2% per annum in the cocoa forest landscape. The briefing recommends clarifying forest conversion laws, reforming tree and land tenure to incentivise agroforestry, and establishing a mandatory national legality and traceability system to comply with emerging EU and UK due diligence regulations. It also calls for legislative reforms to the definition of child labour and greater transparency in the management of the Living Income Differential (LID) and the Producer Price Review Committee (PPRC).

The briefing analyzes the legislative and institutional deficiencies in Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa sector, highlighting a lack of traceability, inadequate pricing mechanisms, and weak law enforcement. It argues that these gaps contribute to deforestation, child labor, and farmer poverty. The report recommends the creation of a centralized traceability system, a more transparent price-setting process, and a collaborative institutional framework to coordinate the various government ministries and agencies involved in cocoa and forest management.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that no global indicator is currently on track to meet the 2030 goals of stopping forest loss and restoring 350 million hectares of landscape. While Tropical Asia is the only region on track to halt deforestation, global rates declined only modestly by 6.3% in 2021 compared to the 2018-20 baseline. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that annual mitigation finance for forests is less than 1% of the estimated USD 460 billion needed. It further identifies failures in the private sector to eliminate deforestation from agricultural supply chains by 2025 and notes that 50% of lands held by Indigenous Peoples and local communities remain legally unrecognized.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that no global indicator is currently on track to meet the 2030 targets for stopping forest loss and restoring 350 million hectares of ecosystems. While Tropical Asia is the only region on track to stop deforestation by 2030, global forest loss still exceeds gains, resulting in a net loss of 100 million hectares. The report highlights critical gaps in sustainable production, where commodity-driven tree cover loss decreased by only 6% in 2021, and in finance, where current annual funding of $2.3 billion is less than 1% of the estimated $460 billion needed. Governance remains a significant hurdle, with at least 50% of lands held by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) lacking legal recognition. The document calls for a shift from voluntary corporate actions to mandatory regulations, a 200-fold increase in forest funding, and the strengthening of land tenure rights for IPLCs.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is not on track to meet its 2030 forest goals. While some regional progress exists, global deforestation rates decreased only modestly in 2021, and financial investments for forest protection remain less than 1% of the required annual amount. The report highlights a critical gap between ambitious government pledges and actual policy implementation, noting that voluntary corporate commitments have failed to significantly alter the trajectory of forest loss. It emphasizes the vital but underfunded role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in forest stewardship and calls for a radical transformation in economic flows, governance, and legal mandates to avoid catastrophic climate and biodiversity loss.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment concludes that the world is not on track to meet its 2030 forest goals. While Tropical Asia is the only region currently on track to halt deforestation, global rates of forest loss and degradation remain too high, and financial investments are less than 1% of the required amount. The report highlights a gap between ambitious national goals and actual implementation, noting that voluntary corporate actions have been insufficient and that indigenous peoples and local communities remain severely underfunded despite their effectiveness as forest guardians.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that no global indicator is currently on track to meet the 2030 goals of halting forest loss and degradation or restoring 350 million hectares of landscape. While Tropical Asia is the only region on track to stop deforestation, global primary forest loss decreased by only 3.1% in humid tropics. Financial investment for forests is critically insufficient, with current mitigation funding at US$ 2.3 billion per year—less than 1% of the estimated US$ 460 billion needed annually. Corporate action to eliminate deforestation from agricultural supply chains by 2025 is lagging, and governance remains weak, with at least 50% of lands occupied by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPCs and LCs) lacking legal recognition.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that no global indicator is currently on track to meet the 2030 goals of halting forest loss and degradation or restoring 350 million hectares of forest landscape. While global deforestation rates declined by 6.3% in 2021 compared to the 2018-2020 baseline, this falls short of the 10% annual reduction required. Tropical Asia is the only region on track to halt deforestation by 2030, while Tropical Latin America and Africa remain off track. The report also notes that while 130.9 million hectares of tree cover were gained between 2000 and 2020, these were offset by 231.4 million hectares of loss, resulting in a net global loss of 100.5 million hectares.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that global forest governance is currently insufficient to meet 2030 targets. While some countries have successfully reduced deforestation through moratoria and strengthened enforcement, these gains are often fragile or being reversed by legislative rollbacks. The report highlights persistent tenure insecurity for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, widespread corruption in the timber trade, and significant gaps in the implementation of demand-side regulations in importing nations.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that no global indicator is currently on track to meet the 2030 goals of halting forest loss and restoring 350 million hectares of landscape. While Tropical Asia is on track to halt deforestation, other regions like Tropical Latin America and Africa are not. The report highlights a massive funding gap, with current mitigation finance at less than 1% of the estimated USD 460 billion annual need. It also notes that commodity-driven deforestation declined by 6% in 2021 but remains far from the trajectory needed for the 2025 private sector target. Governance remains a critical weakness, with persistent tenure insecurity for Indigenous Peoples and local communities and widespread corruption in the timber trade.

The 2022 Theme 2 Assessment of the Forest Declaration finds that the world is not on track to meet 2030 forest goals or 2025 zero-deforestation targets for agricultural supply chains. While commodity-driven tree cover loss declined by 6% in 2021 compared to 2018-20, rates remain higher than in any year before 2016. The report highlights a significant gap between government 'green growth' agendas and actual investment, noting that trillions of dollars are mobilized for infrastructure like the Belt and Road Initiative while global public investments in forest goals are only USD 2.3 billion per year. In the private sector, only a quarter of major agricultural companies have ambitious policies to eliminate deforestation, and less than 20% of companies disclosing to CDP report near full compliance. The extractives sector shows even lower transparency and a lack of explicit forest-focused policies. Grassroots resistance, led by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, has achieved some successes, such as a temporary moratorium on new concessions in Ecuador, but defenders face high rates of violence, with over 200 killed in 2021.

The report finds that global forest finance is not on track to meet 2030 goals, with current mitigation finance averaging USD 2.3 billion per year—less than 1 percent of the estimated USD 460 billion annual requirement. It highlights a stark imbalance where 'grey finance' (harmful investments) significantly outweighs 'green finance,' and notes that Indigenous Peoples and local communities remain severely underfunded. While 2021 pledges could quadruple annual finance to USD 9.5 billion, this remains insufficient. The report also analyzes the limited impact of voluntary and compliance carbon markets and the slow progress of REDD+ frameworks.

Global Witness reports that 1,733 land and environmental defenders were killed between 2012 and 2021, with 200 deaths recorded in 2021 alone. The report highlights a disproportionate impact on indigenous peoples, who represent over 40% of fatal attacks despite being only 5% of the global population. Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia are identified as the most dangerous countries, where extractivism, land inequality, and corporate impunity drive violence. The document calls for the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and stricter mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence for companies, particularly within the European Union.

In 2024, Global Witness documented 146 land and environmental defenders murdered or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. The report identifies mining as the deadliest industry and highlights the disproportionate targeting of Indigenous Peoples and small-scale farmers. It examines specific crises in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Guatemala, and Palestine, while critiquing the failures of state protection mechanisms and the rise of criminalization. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of mandatory corporate due diligence, and the formal recognition of defenders' roles in climate solutions ahead of COP30.