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Friends of the Earth International asserts that the dominant economic system of continuous growth and profit is the root cause of the planetary crisis. The organization advocates for a systemic transition toward societies based on equality, reciprocity, and popular sovereignty, requiring the dismantling of capitalist logic and the implementation of feminist economics and agroecology. Key priorities include a just energy transition that removes fossil fuel dependence and corporate control, the recognition of community rights over forests, and the establishment of public services through tax justice and social ownership.

The document examines five types of illegality—resource rights, labor rights, other laws, fraud, and corruption—across several global commodity chains. It provides case studies on beef, palm oil, pulp and paper, cocoa, shrimp, olive oil, dairy, and soy, highlighting how illegal practices drive deforestation, biodiversity loss, and labor abuse. The paper argues that illegality is an underappreciated threat that increases with global food demand and climate change, calling for precompetitive cooperation between governments and companies to ensure supply chain transparency.

The document outlines the process for developing long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, emphasizing their role in guiding near- and medium-term actions and avoiding stranded assets. It details essential design elements, including long-term visions, sectoral pathways, and the critical role of the energy sector. The paper also discusses the use of modeling, scenarios, and qualitative inputs to inform these strategies, while highlighting the importance of transparent communication and just transitions.

Danone aims for full value-chain carbon neutrality by 2050, with intermediate 2030 targets to reduce scope 1, 2, and 3 emission intensity by 50% and achieve a 30% absolute reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions. As of 2017, the company's total greenhouse gas emissions were 21.6 million tons, with 93.2% originating from Scope 3. Key initiatives include transitioning to 100% renewable electricity via RE100, implementing regenerative agricultural practices with 140,000 global farmers, and utilizing the Cool Farm Tool for farm-level quantification. Specific projects include a carbon-neutral evian bottling site powered by hydro-electric energy and the Livelihoods Carbon Fund, which supports mangrove restoration in Senegal, Indonesia, and India.

The report analyzes the palm oil sector in Berau, East Kalimantan, finding that the region can meet its production targets and mill capacities without further land expansion by focusing on productivity increases. While corporate plantations operate efficiently, smallholders face significant barriers, including lack of land certification, limited access to finance, and inefficient transport routes. The report recommends strengthening smallholder cooperatives, improving financial access, and exploring the feasibility of local CPO refineries to increase regional value-add.

The report finds that Berau can meet its palm oil production needs and fulfill mill capacities by 2021-2023 by improving agricultural practices and reaching 90% optimum productivity, eliminating the need for further land expansion. While company plantations operate efficiently, independent smallholders face significant barriers, including lack of land certificates, limited access to finance, and inefficient transport routes to mills. The region lacks CPO refineries, resulting in most crude palm oil being exported to other provinces or Malaysia. The authors recommend strengthening smallholder cooperatives, improving bankability, and analyzing the business case for local refineries to increase regional value addition.

The Clean Air Task Force criticizes the EPA's proposed 2019 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), noting that cellulosic biofuels account for less than 2% of the total mandate despite a congressional goal for them to represent nearly one-third. The organization asserts that the RFS allows corn ethanol and soy biodiesel to dominate the market, with increased soy biodiesel production contributing to deforestation in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

The report exposes the Ngoki oil project in the Republic of Congo as a high-risk venture characterized by corruption, environmental negligence, and potentially exaggerated oil reserves. It highlights the project's threat to the world's largest tropical peatlands in the Cuvette Centrale, which store 30 billion tonnes of carbon. The investigation reveals that the project is controlled by businessman Claude Wilfrid Etoka, who has close ties to President Sassou-Nguesso's family and whose company, SARPD Oil, was dropped by BNP Paribas due to corruption risks. Furthermore, the report argues that the project's Environmental Impact Assessment is "unfit for purpose" as it predates the discovery of the peatlands. It also notes that oil majors Total and ENI have interests in the region, and calls for donors to the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and financial institutions to halt support for oil exploration in these sensitive ecosystems.

The RECAF project targets the Central Highland and South Central Coast regions of Viet Nam to mitigate emissions from the nexus of forestry and agriculture. With a total indicative cost of USD 94 million, the project seeks to reduce 6 MtCO2e over a 12-year lifespan. Key strategies include mainstreaming the National REDD+ Action Plan (NRAP) into provincial planning, developing deforestation-free value chains for commodities like coffee and rubber, and implementing a 'low emission credit' product for smallholders. The project also focuses on enhancing forest carbon stocks on 0.5 million hectares and establishing collaborative forest management (CFM) and payment for forest ecosystem services (PFES) to benefit 40,000 smallholder households.

The document outlines the environmental risks associated with the EU-Indonesia FTA, specifically regarding palm oil and timber trade, and proposes specific textual amendments and structural safeguards to ensure the agreement supports climate goals and human rights.

The paper examines Tanzania's electrification challenges, noting that only 32.8% of the population had electricity access in 2016. It critiques the proposed $3.6 billion Stiegler's Gorge hydroelectric dam, arguing that its benefits are outweighed by risks to the Selous World Heritage Site and downstream livelihoods in the Lower Rufiji. The author suggests that Tanzania should leapfrog traditional centralized infrastructure in favor of a combination of large-scale and micro-scale solar and wind power to achieve inclusive development without causing significant biodiversity loss.

The document outlines three development pathways for Rwanda—reference, pessimistic, and optimistic—to explore the synergies and trade-offs between agricultural transformation and energy transition. It provides the specific quantitative inputs and qualitative assumptions used in the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) and Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) models, including GDP growth, population trends, land-use changes, and cookstove penetration rates.

The document examines the 'jurisdictional approach' (JA)—a comprehensive, government-led strategy for forest and land-use governance across defined political territories. It argues that subnational jurisdictions (states, provinces, districts) are critical for scaling emissions reductions because they are closer to land users and possess the authority to shape land-use decisions. Through case studies in Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, and Mexico, the paper highlights that while JA fosters multi-stakeholder collaboration and policy innovation, it is frequently hampered by political turnover, limited public sector capacity, and a lack of tangible financial incentives. The authors conclude that JA is not a 'silver bullet' but a necessary recognition of the role of multi-level government in protecting forests and enhancing livelihoods.

The document argues that tropical forests, mangroves, and peatlands can provide 23 percent of the cost-effective mitigation needed by 2030 to limit warming to 2°C. It highlights that deforestation impacts the climate not only through carbon emissions but also through non-radiative forcings like disrupted water cycles and surface albedo changes, which can lead to hotter and drier conditions locally and continentally. The authors emphasize that while reforestation has high potential, it faces uncertainties regarding land availability and competition with food security, whereas avoiding deforestation provides more certain mitigation benefits.

Mighty Earth warns that Canada's proposed Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) fails to include robust accounting for indirect land-use change (ILUC), which could lead to ecosystem destruction and increased greenhouse gas emissions, mirroring failures of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The author urges the Canadian government to adopt ILUC values, potentially using California's Low-Carbon Fuel Standard as a placeholder, to ensure the policy promotes truly sustainable biofuels rather than food-based fuels that drive cropland expansion.

The document analyzes the critical link between forest cover and water security in the Cumbaza River micro-basin, noting that 85% of the area is degraded. It highlights how deforestation and climate variability increase sediment loads, affecting urban water treatment for 40,000 users in Tarapoto and reducing water availability for rice and aquaculture farmers. The brief recommends restoring 3,000 hectares in the upper basin by 2040 and 1,500 hectares in the Ahuashiyacu and Shilcayo sub-basins by 2050, while strengthening inter-institutional governance through the Cumbaza Micro-basin Management Committee.

The report argues that the proliferation of certification labels creates consumer confusion and allows companies to greenwash their operations without achieving substantive environmental improvements. In fisheries, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friends of the Sea (FOS) are criticized for certifying overfished areas and lacking transparency. In the palm oil sector, programs like RSPO, ISCC, and ISPO are found to have failed in slowing deforestation or peatland drainage. In textiles, the Higg Index and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) are highlighted for weaknesses such as reliance on self-assessment and allowing GMO seeds. The authors call for a shift toward mandatory government regulations and a reform of certifications based on transparency, independence, holistic life-cycle approaches, and scientific standards.

The report assesses voluntary sustainability certifications in fisheries, palm oil, and textiles, concluding that many schemes act as 'greenwash' and fail to prevent deforestation, overfishing, or pollution. It argues that the proliferation of labels creates consumer confusion and a 'race to the bottom' in standards. The authors call for the abolition of ineffective schemes and a transition toward science-based, transparent, and holistic regulations that cover the entire product life-cycle.

The report examines voluntary sustainability certifications in the palm oil, fisheries, and textile industries, concluding that these schemes often lack transparency, lower their standards to increase volume, and fail to prevent deforestation or overfishing. It argues that certifications are being used as 'greenwashing' tools by corporations and governments and calls for a shift toward strict, independent, and comprehensive standards that cover the entire product life cycle, while emphasizing that voluntary initiatives cannot replace government regulation.

The document argues that the proliferation of voluntary certifications in the palm oil, fisheries, and textile sectors has created consumer confusion and a 'race to the bottom' in standards. It finds that these schemes often fail to stop deforestation, overfishing, or pollution, and are sometimes used by companies to mask unsustainable operations. The report calls for the abolition of most current schemes in favor of a few high-ambition, transparent, and science-based standards that complement, rather than replace, government regulation.