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In response to the 2019 'megafire' in the Chiquitano Forest, which burned approximately 3.6 million hectares, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) developed a pilot framework to help Bolivian policymakers use watersheds as the primary management unit for land and water planning. The framework combines remote sensing data on land use and fire from 2001 to 2019 with watershed maps and water-related indicators, such as groundwater recharge areas, to identify vulnerable zones. While current restoration plans in the Santa Cruz Department focus on socio-economic and governance actions, they lack water resource components. SEI's tool distinguishes between fires in intact forests versus those in areas already converted to agriculture and identifies northern Chiquitania as having the highest groundwater recharge potential. Future work involves adding criteria like ecosystem relevance and population size, and developing a regional-scale model using the Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) tool to quantify the hydrological impacts of forest cover loss.

The document explains how trade-based money laundering (TBML) is used to disguise the proceeds of environmental crimes, often through misinvoicing or complex global schemes. It highlights why natural resources are particularly susceptible to TBML due to their need for licit supply chains and the ability to co-mingle illicit goods with legal ones. The guide provides 'red flags' for identifying suspicious trade and financial activity and lists inter-governmental, private sector, and NGO resources available to help practitioners combat these financial crimes.

The Sustainable Agriculture Finance Facility (SAFF) is a ten-year revolving credit facility in Brazil designed to overcome low adoption rates of integrated crop-livestock-forest (ICLF) systems. By providing bundled loans tailored to ICLF risk and cash flow profiles, alongside a unique certification system and technical assistance, SAFF aims to mobilize significant capital for sustainable land use. The pilot phase targets USD 68 million for 90,000 hectares in the Center-South region, with the potential to scale to USD 1.4 billion over ten years, contributing to Brazil's goal of implementing five million hectares of ICLF by 2030.

The Ferrogrão (EF-170) project is a proposed 930 km railroad designed to lower soy export costs from Mato Grosso by routing cargo through the Amazon rainforest to the Miritituba terminal. While intended to reduce carbon emissions, the project faces significant socio-environmental challenges, including a 2017 proposal to withdraw public access from BR-163/MT/PA that would have impacted nearly one million hectares of forests in conservation units. Despite legal challenges to environmental studies and public consultations between 2017 and 2018, the project's concession model was approved in July 2020. The analysis highlights a tension between the Brazilian government's push for infrastructure-led economic recovery and a global trend toward more rigid, sustainable socio-environmental investment standards, which are increasingly viewed by investors as a means to reduce financial risk.

Agnisumukh develops flameless, radiant heat gas burners for commercial kitchens in India, reducing fuel consumption by approximately 30% and eliminating carbon soot. Founded in 2014 by Hari Rao, the company provides alternatives to traditional firewood and inefficient LPG burners, serving over 100 clients in 500 kitchens, including the President of India and the Prime Minister’s Office. The company's innovations have resulted in carbon savings of approximately 7,337 tons and the preservation of 469,201 trees.

The document outlines principles for financial institutions (FIs) to align with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement, specifically referencing the IPCC SR1.5 pathway 1. It demands the immediate cessation of financing for new fossil fuel exploration and infrastructure, a rapid phase-out of coal financing by 2030 in OECD countries and 2040 globally, and the prohibition of financing for projects causing deforestation or ecosystem degradation. FIs are urged to disclose their full carbon footprint, set science-based targets to reach zero impact by 2050, and avoid reliance on offsets or untested negative emissions technologies.

Mighty Earth calls for new EU legislation to ensure corporations only sell deforestation-free products, arguing that European consumption of commodities like soy, palm oil, beef, coffee, and cocoa fuels the destruction of global ecosystems, including the Amazon and Cerrado.

The report assesses gender inequalities in Colombia, specifically within the Amazon biome, to inform a Gender Action Plan for a REDD+ project implemented by FAO and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. It identifies significant gaps in land ownership, labor market participation, and decision-making power for rural and indigenous women. The document outlines a strategy to mainstream gender by promoting women's leadership in forest management, recognizing ancestral knowledge in food security and biodiversity, and implementing differential quotas for participation.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzed the Ferrogrão railway project, finding significant gaps in its economic planning, socio-environmental governance, and risk assessment. The project, intended to lower soy export costs from Mato Grosso, faces risks of inducing 2,043 km² of deforestation. The analysis highlights a lack of transparency and a failure to align the project's technical studies with international socio-environmental standards.

The report argues that the Amazon is approaching a systemic tipping point of ecological and economic collapse due to a 'deforestation economy' that benefits a small elite. It proposes a shift toward an inclusive green economy based on standing forests, utilizing a 'bioeconomy' model that supports micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and indigenous knowledge. To facilitate this, the Fundação Amazonas Sustentável (FAS) and the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) have launched the Amazon Green Economy Hub in Manaus to coordinate policy reform, investment, and sustainable value chains.

The report identifies 12 cases of fire in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes in August 2020, totaling 20,064 hectares of prior deforestation. It links these fires to the preparation of land for pasture or crop production and highlights that major traders like Bunge, Cargill, and JBS are connected to farms engaging in these practices.

The report details the impact of the Emergency Amazon Fire Fund, which raised nearly $2 million in the US for fire response and recovery. It highlights the severity of the 2019 fire season, where the total burned area reached at least 21,621 square miles, and notes that 2020 saw a 28% increase in fires in the Brazilian Amazon during July compared to the previous year. WWF's interventions include donating 700 fire-fighting tools to the State of Amazonas Fire Department, supporting community-led wildfire prevention in Colombia's Chiribiquete National Park, and establishing an emergency program in Bolivia. The document argues that fires are driven by deforestation—fueled by land speculation, infrastructure development, and market demand—and are exacerbated by climate change. Long-term goals focus on securing 210 million acres of the biome through Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) and strengthening Indigenous land rights.

The report examines the potential of rubberwood sales to mitigate the financial burden on Indonesian rubber smallholders during the replanting of over-aged, low-yield trees. While selling rubberwood provides some initial capital, the study finds it is insufficient on its own to cover the significant cash shortfalls associated with the five-year immaturity period of new trees. The analysis concludes that a viable financing model must combine rubberwood sales with an agroforestry approach—using intercrops to generate income—and training in good agricultural practices (GAP) to ensure long-term profitability and repayment capacity for smallholders. The report also highlights systemic barriers to finance, including a lack of land titles for collateral and high operational costs for financial service providers (FSPs).

The document outlines a 24-month readiness project requesting USD 1,312,296 to support eight Central American countries in developing a regional GCF concept note. The initiative targets the protection of the 'Five Great Forests'—transboundary forest systems spanning from Mexico to Colombia—by addressing illegal cattle ranching, strengthening Indigenous land tenure, and aligning national climate strategies (NDCs). Key activities include stakeholder mapping, vulnerability assessments for Indigenous Peoples, the creation of a land tenure database, and the development of economic models for forest-based livelihoods.

The Green Road Infrastructure Guidelines for Colombia establish a framework for integrating sustainability into the entire lifecycle of road projects—from strategic planning and design to operation and decommissioning. Central to this is the Early Intervention Approach (EIA), which emphasizes the use of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, prevent, mitigate, correct, and compensate) to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services. The guidelines provide specific technical directives for each project phase, focusing on maintaining ecological connectivity, protecting Areas of Special Environmental Interest (AEIA), and managing water bodies. Key engineering recommendations include the construction of wildlife crossings, the use of 'green' drainage works, and the establishment of multifunctional nurseries. The document also stresses the importance of governability and community participation to prevent social conflict and illegal land grabbing, particularly in sensitive regions like the Colombian Amazon.

The High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) has clarified its methodology for the cocoa industry to help Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) signatories implement 'no deforestation' commitments. The HCSA distinguishes tropical forests for conservation from degraded lands, explicitly stating that expanding cocoa plantations or agroforestry into identified HCS forests constitutes deforestation or degradation and is prohibited. To catalyze adoption, HCSA assessments are being trialed in Ghana and Peru, with goals to scale up indicative HCS-HCV mapping and adapt simplified toolkits for smallholder farmers.

The paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in India's environmental governance, noting that while lockdowns temporarily improved air and water quality, the period also saw a rise in industrial disasters and the dilution of environmental impact assessment rules. It highlights the intersection of environmental degradation—such as deforestation and pollution—with increased vulnerability to pandemics and climate-driven extreme weather events. The author concludes that India's economic recovery packages lack long-term environmental vision and calls for the stringent implementation of environmental laws to build socio-ecological resilience.

WWF International calls for urgent global action to mitigate zoonotic disease risks by closing high-risk wildlife markets and stopping illegal trade. The organization advocates for a holistic approach that combines law enforcement, demand reduction, and the protection of natural ecosystems to prevent future pandemics. The document specifically highlights the need for the United States to provide strategic resources and diplomatic leadership, and presents survey data showing strong public support for closing illegal wildlife markets in several Asian regions.

The guide is designed for investors, particularly those new to deforestation risk, to help them identify drivers of risk based on industries, geographies, and sourcing patterns. It outlines expectations for corporate commitments, provides example engagement questions, and suggests concrete steps for investors to address deforestation risk.

The document examines the slow adoption of cleaner cookstoves in peri-urban Kenya, arguing that a combination of service design, behavioral insights, and social-ecological systems thinking is necessary to better align stove development with user needs. Based on a study of advanced biomass pellet cookstoves near Nairobi, it recommends tailoring interventions to specific user archetypes, stabilizing the biomass pellet fuel supply chain through subsidies, and establishing localized technical support and repair networks.