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ClientEarth argues that while the EUTR and FLEGT Regulation have improved transparency in timber supply chains, significant gaps in enforcement, funding, and scope persist. The organization highlights a critical lack of staff and financial resources in EU Member States, uneven implementation that disrupts the market, and a low volume of compliance checks relative to the number of operators. It recommends expanding the EUTR's product scope, introducing stricter responsibilities for traders, and harmonizing penalties to ensure they are 'effective, proportionate and dissuasive'. Regarding FLEGT, ClientEarth notes its success in driving systemic law reform and civil society participation in producer countries but warns that the EU's reduced market weight and the technical complexity of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) may hinder progress. Finally, it calls for new mandatory due diligence legislation to address forest conversion driven by commodities like soy, cocoa, palm oil, and beef.

The report argues that independent palm oil smallholders in Berau face significant economic risks due to monocropping and low productivity, with returns often falling far below the regional minimum wage. Through financial modelling, the study finds that diversifying into maize and cocoa can substantially increase revenue—potentially up to 825% more than monocropping—while reducing sensitivity to market price volatility. It recommends that diversification begin during the peak productivity of palm oil trees (around year 10) to ensure bankability and positive cash flow. To facilitate this transition, the report suggests leveraging financial instruments such as the Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) interest rate subsidy, credit guarantee schemes, and maize insurance, while strengthening local programs like PRUKADES and farmers' corporation plantation zones.

The policy brief identifies structural flaws in Brazil's infrastructure investment governance, noting a lack of long-term planning and a failure to integrate socio-environmental criteria in the land transport sector. It highlights that the Brazilian National Development Strategy (EFD) is medium-term and lacks specific targets for deforestation and biome sensitivities. To address these gaps, the authors propose a new 'pre-viability' phase for large greenfield infrastructure projects. This phase would use a structuring questionnaire and a socio-environmental complexity analysis to filter out unsustainable projects before they reach the costly viability study stage, thereby reducing investment misallocation and protecting sensitive regions like the Amazon.

The policy brief argues that Brazil's current infrastructure planning, especially in land transport, lacks long-term vision and fails to integrate socio-environmental components. It critiques the Federal Development Strategy (EFD) for being medium-term rather than long-term and for having insufficient indicators for issues like deforestation. The authors propose a new 'pre-feasibility' phase for large greenfield projects to act as a filter, using structured questionnaires and socio-environmental complexity analyses to prevent the advancement of unviable or environmentally damaging projects. This is presented as critical for the Amazon, where past infrastructure projects have been major drivers of deforestation.

The report by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) examines how Transnational Corporations (TNCs) drive a capitalist system of accumulation through extractivism and the commercialization of services. It highlights the 'architecture of impunity'—including Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms—that allows TNCs to avoid accountability for environmental destruction and human rights abuses. The document details the impacts of agribusiness, forestry, mining, and energy sectors, noting that more than two-thirds of global territory defenders killed in 2019 were in Latin America. It advocates for a UN Binding Treaty to regulate TNCs and a transition toward an economy based on the sustainability of life and peoples' sovereignty.

The report by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) analyzes how transnational corporations (TNCs) exercise disproportionate economic and political power to exploit natural resources and labor in Latin America and the Caribbean. It details the 'architecture of impunity' created by trade agreements and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, which allow TNCs to avoid accountability for human rights and environmental violations. The document categorizes impacts across extractivism, agribusiness, forestry, mining, energy, and services, highlighting the specific burdens on women and the criminalization of land defenders. It advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to regulate TNCs and a transition from a capitalist, extractivist model to one based on popular sovereignty and sustainability.

The 2020 assessment concludes that the goal of restoring 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not on track, with global forest cover gain meeting only one fifth of the target. While political will is evident through 63 Bonn Challenge pledges totaling 172.82 million hectares, biophysical progress is hindered by data gaps and the fact that tree cover gains are often offset by ongoing deforestation. A case study of Central America highlights this dynamic, showing a net loss of 320 million hectares of tree cover between 2011 and 2018 despite significant gross gains. The report notes a growing trend of private-sector restoration pledges from companies like Amazon and Nestle, though financial transparency and systematic planning remain significant hurdles for scaling forest landscape restoration (FLR).

The report concludes that Goal 6 was met through the adoption of SDG 15, but highlights significant gaps in how forest conservation is measured and reported. It notes that indicators for SDG target 15.2 measure net rather than gross deforestation, failing to capture the extent of natural forest loss. Furthermore, the report warns that SDG targets 15.1 and 15.2 were set to expire in 2020 without adopted revisions. Reporting challenges persist at national levels, with many countries lacking the data and statistical systems needed to track progress, while corporate reporting on SDGs remains largely superficial.

The report evaluates the operationalization of REDD+ and the inclusion of forest-related mitigation targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. While the overarching goal of including forests in a global climate agreement is considered met, the report identifies significant barriers to REDD+ implementation, including insufficient finance and a lack of quantifiable targets in many NDCs. Recent updates to NDCs show some improvement in the quality and scale of forest targets in specific countries.

The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 9 reveals that while nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, only 40 percent has been disbursed. The report highlights a significant gap in funding for the implementation phase of REDD+ activities and notes that carbon markets have channeled USD 2.5 billion to forests over 20 years. While private sector demand for forest carbon offsets is rising among airlines and petroleum companies, current carbon prices remain too low to meet Paris Agreement objectives. Additionally, the report details various domestic compliance schemes in countries like Australia, Canada, and China that allow for forest carbon credits.

The 2020 assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) finds that progress toward reducing deforestation from extractive sectors and infrastructure is slow. Despite some national policies and corporate commitments, a lack of transparency, weak enforcement, and a continued reliance on top-down extractive economic models hinder success. The report emphasizes that ending natural forest loss by 2030 requires a paradigm shift toward valuing forests and supporting community-led sustainable development.

The 2020 NYDF Progress Assessment finds that natural forest loss has increased since 2014, failing the target to halve the rate. While governments and companies have adopted some policies and commitments, implementation is slow, transparency is limited, and the pace of large-scale infrastructure and resource extraction continues to threaten intact forests. The report highlights a critical gap between high-level policy and on-the-ground enforcement, noting that Indigenous and local communities often lack influence in development planning and face increasing repression.

The report finds that the rate of natural forest cover loss has increased since 2014, failing to meet NYDF Goal 1. Progress on Goals 3 and 4 is slow, hampered by a lack of transparency in the extractive and infrastructure sectors, weak government enforcement of environmental laws, and a systemic failure to integrate the rights of indigenous peoples and smallholders into development planning. While some governments have established protected areas and REDD+ strategies, implementation is often undermined by political instability and the prioritization of resource extraction over forest conservation.

The 2020 NYDF progress assessment finds that natural forest loss has increased since 2014, with infrastructure and extractive industries posing growing threats. While some governments and companies have adopted sustainability policies, implementation is slow, transparency is limited, and environmental protections are being reversed in some regions. The report highlights a significant power imbalance that marginalizes indigenous peoples and local communities, and notes that financial flows for poverty reduction and deforestation prevention remain minimal compared to non-forest-aligned investments.

The 2020 NYDF assessment finds that natural forest loss has increased since 2014, failing the goal to halve the rate by 2020. The report highlights growing threats from large-scale infrastructure and extractive industries, noting a significant lack of transparency among companies and governments. While some progress has been made in designating protected areas and developing national forest strategies, implementation remains slow, and environmental protections are often weakened. The document emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in valuing forests and the adoption of four specific strategies to align macroeconomic planning and project implementation with forest conservation and sustainable development.

The 2020 Goal 1 assessment concludes that the world is failing to halve natural forest loss and associated greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and is not on track to stop them by 2030. Using data from Global Forest Watch and the FAO, the report finds that global annual gross tree cover loss has increased by 40% since the NYDF was signed in 2014 compared to the 2001-2013 baseline. Humid tropical primary forest loss has increased by 41% on average since the baseline period. While net natural forest loss decreased slightly from 10.4 million hectares per year (2000-2010) to 7.8 million hectares per year (2010-2020), this is insufficient to meet targets. Tropical Africa is identified as an emerging frontier of forest loss, while Latin America remains the region with the highest absolute area of primary forest loss. Greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and primary forest loss are also moving away from 2030 targets, with primary forest emissions 45% higher since the NYDF signing than before.

The 2020 assessment of Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) finds that global progress in forest governance remains slow, with weak legal frameworks and limited enforcement continuing to drive deforestation. While some countries have implemented positive measures—such as Indonesia's permanent Forest and Peatland Moratorium and the regional Pacto de Leticia in the Amazon—these are offset by deregulation in countries like Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. The report highlights a critical gap in land tenure, noting that only about half of the lands customarily held by Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are legally recognized. Furthermore, violence against environmental defenders reached a record high in 2019, with 212 killings reported globally.

The 2020 assessment finds that supply chain efforts have failed to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodities, with tree cover loss in 2018 remaining similar to levels before the New York Declaration on Forests. While palm oil and timber sectors show more advanced commitment and traceability tools, the beef and soy sectors in Latin America lag significantly. Most corporate commitments lack comprehensive scope, and full traceability to the point of production remains rare. The report highlights a gap in reporting, with many influential companies failing to disclose progress, and notes that financial institutions have largely failed to set clear policies to remove deforestation from their investments.

The report finds that international and domestic public finance for forests is significantly lower than the sector's climate mitigation potential. It highlights a gap where 'grey' finance for agriculture far outweighs 'green' finance for forest protection. Additionally, the document notes that most major financial institutions lack deforestation policies, and private investment in sustainable commodity production remains difficult to quantify and insufficient in scale.

The report finds that progress toward reducing deforestation from infrastructure, extractive industries, and basic-needs activities is slow. While some governments and companies have adopted policies and commitments, implementation is often weak, transparency is limited, and large-scale development projects continue to threaten intact forests. The report emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift toward alternative development pathways and the empowerment of Indigenous peoples and local communities.