Search Climate Insights Directory

The mid-term evaluation of the GEF6-PdP project indicates a satisfactory overall performance, with significant achievements in operationalizing the wider Patrimonio Natural del Perú (PdP) Initiative and strengthening institutional capacities within SERNANP. The project has successfully signed a Single Close Agreement (MoU) and identified seven key financial mechanisms to diversify revenue streams. However, the evaluation highlights critical gaps in inter-sectoral coordination, the lack of a formal participation strategy for local and indigenous communities, and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While institutional ownership is high, the project's sustainability is threatened by political instability and a lack of a national sustainable financing policy. The evaluation recommends prioritizing the update of SERNANP's Strategic Plan and developing a more robust, participatory methodology for stakeholder engagement.

The document is an open letter to the UK Prime Minister calling for amendments to the Environment Bill to ensure UK supply chains and finance are not complicit in any form of deforestation, regardless of legality in producer countries. The authors argue that the UK must protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and set a global environmental footprint target by 2030 to support the 1.5°C climate target and protect the Amazon biome.

The proposal seeks USD 299,846 to help Honduras integrate climate resilience into its post-pandemic and post-disaster economic recovery. The project focuses on using the Green Economy Model (GEM) to quantify impacts, conducting stakeholder consultations to prioritize interventions, and developing a concrete investment plan. This will culminate in three pre-feasibility studies and at least one project concept note for future GCF funding. The initiative is aligned with the national Reconstruction and Sustainable Development Plan (PRDS) and is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The document details ten significant court cases across ten different countries—China, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Belgium, Finland, Australia, Tanzania, the Philippines, and India—where legal action successfully protected habitats or species. These cases highlight the application of the precautionary principle, the recognition of the 'rights of nature', and the use of public interest litigation to challenge government inaction or illegal industrial activities. Key outcomes include the halting of a hydroelectric dam in China, the liability of landowners for illegal deforestation in Brazil, and the reintroduction of Asiatic lions in India.

The document outlines ClientEarth's perspective on four key climate priorities: phasing out coal, reducing urban air pollution through Clean Air Zones, mobilising climate finance for developing nations, and implementing a more ambitious legal framework to combat global deforestation.

The document details ten significant legal cases across various countries—including China, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Belgium, Finland, Australia, Tanzania, the Philippines, and India—where courts intervened to protect biodiversity. Key legal strategies highlighted include the application of the precautionary principle, the recognition of nature as a legal subject (rights of nature), the use of public interest litigation, and the enforcement of international treaties like CITES and the EU Habitats Directive. These cases range from stopping hydroelectric projects to protect the green peacock in China and banning neonicotinoid pesticides to save bees in Costa Rica, to mandating the reintroduction of Asiatic lions in India.

The document advocates for the inclusion of human rights protections in the EU's upcoming legislation on forest and ecosystem-risk commodities (FERCs). It argues that deforestation is intrinsically linked to human rights abuses, particularly against Indigenous Peoples, and that protecting these rights is essential for effective forest conservation. The briefing proposes a product-based due diligence framework with a 'negligible risk' threshold, mandatory investigation of land tenure and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and rights of redress before EU courts. To demonstrate feasibility, it provides case studies of Brazilian beef supply chains involving JBS and Marfrig, showing that human rights risks can be identified using publicly available digital information.

The Amazônia Sustainable Supply Chains (AMSSC) Mechanism, proposed by Natura and Mauá Capital, aims to scale the bioeconomy in the Brazilian Amazon by addressing financing gaps for smallholder cooperatives. The instrument consists of a receivables fund that provides upfront payments based on off-take agreements and an Enabling Conditions Facility (ECF) for technical and community support. The pilot targets 3 million hectares of forest conservation by 2030, potentially avoiding 1.4 billion tons of CO2 emissions. It employs a blended finance structure with subordinated, senior, and potentially mezzanine tranches to de-risk investments and catalyze further corporate and philanthropic capital.

The report analyzes four federal transport projects in Pará: Ferrogrão, BR-155/158, BR-163/230/MT/PA, and BR-230. Using a 'market access approach,' the authors quantify the risk of deforestation and the associated costs of mitigation. The findings highlight a systemic lack of transparency in project documentation and a significant environmental risk, with the four projects potentially endangering nearly 7,000 square kilometers of native Amazon vegetation. The study argues that the state of Pará should engage with the Federal Government to incorporate deforestation control funding into project designs.

The report analyzes four federal transport projects in Pará: Ferrogrão, BR-155/158, BR-163/230/MT/PA, and BR-230. It finds that these projects collectively risk nearly 7,000 square kilometers of native Amazon vegetation, with over half of the impact occurring in Pará. The study highlights a systemic lack of transparency regarding socio-environmental documents and argues that the state government should engage in early dialogue with federal authorities to incorporate mitigation costs into project designs. Using a 'market access' methodology, the report quantifies the indirect deforestation risks and suggests that mitigation through funds like the Amazon Fund is more cost-effective than paying the social cost of carbon.

The report analyzes the impact of Brazilian public policies on Amazon forest protection, highlighting the success of the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAM) and the use of real-time monitoring (DETER) in reducing deforestation between 2004 and 2012. It identifies a recent trend of increasing deforestation linked to weakened environmental governance and impunity. The author argues for a broader conservation agenda that includes monitoring forest degradation and secondary vegetation, as these are currently 'invisible' to official systems but critical for carbon sequestration and ecosystem restoration.

The WWF-US FY20 Corporate Partnerships Report outlines the organization's strategic approach to collaborating with the private sector to address environmental degradation. It categorizes partnerships into four types: driving sustainable business practices, communications and awareness raising, philanthropic partnerships, and employee engagement. The document lists specific corporate partners across various revenue tiers, highlighting collaborations on issues such as plastic waste, deforestation, and climate change, and notes that corporate partnership income represented 4% of the WWF-US office's total income in FY20.

The report examines rural credit in the Cerrado, noting that while the biome accounts for about one-third of Brazil's rural credit and agricultural production, financing is highly concentrated among large producers and public banks. It highlights a growing reliance on private funding sources like Agricultural Credit Notes (LCA) and a significant scarcity of credit for family farming through programs like PRONAF. The authors argue that improving credit access for smaller producers is essential for increasing productivity and reducing deforestation pressures.

The REDD+ programme aims to curb carbon emissions by providing financial incentives to developing countries for protecting forestry resources. While small-scale projects in Kenya and Cambodia have successfully preserved biodiversity and created jobs, large-scale implementation has faced significant failures. In Indonesia, the programme has been undermined by the misclassification of palm oil plantations as revegetation projects, alleged double counting of credits, and the displacement of indigenous communities. Despite these issues, the document notes that REDD+ has improved forestry monitoring and kept rainforests on the global policy agenda.

The TGNR project identifies a symbiotic relationship between corruption and organized crime that drives illegal gold mining, timber trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and land grabbing in Colombia. These activities undermine national security, cause significant environmental degradation, and result in economic losses through tax evasion and money laundering. The report recommends legal reforms, institutional strengthening, improved information systems, and international cooperation to mitigate these drivers and protect environmental leaders.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio analyzes federal and state legislation regarding forest compensation for legal deforestation in Brazil. It examines how the 2012 Forest Code regulates conservation on private lands and identifies significant gaps in state-level implementation, technical criteria, and monitoring systems.

NGOs report a 17% increase in Amazon deforestation in the first half of 2021 and warn that the Brazilian Amazon may now emit more carbon than it sequesters. The statement criticizes France's passive approach and calls for binding legislation to prevent the import of soy and beef linked to deforestation, as well as the blocking of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.

The report examines rural credit in the Cerrado, noting that while the biome accounts for about one-third of Brazil's rural credit and agricultural production, financing is highly concentrated. Average contract values in the Cerrado are 181% higher than in other biomes, primarily benefiting large-scale soy and cattle producers. While there is a growing trend toward private funding sources like Agribusiness Credit Notes (LCA), public banks—specifically Banco do Brasil—continue to dominate distribution. The study highlights a significant gap in credit access for small and medium producers (Pronaf and Pronamp), arguing that improving this access is essential for increasing productivity and reducing deforestation pressures.

The Cerrado biome accounts for approximately one third of Brazil's rural credit and agricultural production, with a high concentration of financial flows toward large-scale crop production, particularly soy. While the region has attracted more private funding sources like Agricultural Credit Notes (LCA) than other Brazilian biomes, the credit market remains dominated by public banks, specifically Banco do Brasil. There is a significant scarcity of credit for small and medium producers, as programs like PRONAF represent only 4% of the rural credit volume in the biome. The report argues that improving credit access for smaller producers is essential for increasing productivity and reducing deforestation pressures.

The report analyzes the regulatory framework for forest compensation in Brazil, finding that most state laws are outdated and prioritize raw material supply over ecosystem services. It recommends updating legislation to align with the 2012 Forest Code, adopting 'no net loss of habitat' principles, and improving the transparency and governance of restoration funds and monitoring systems.