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The document outlines the 40-year history and strategic framework of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI), a global federation of 76 member groups. It argues that environmental destruction, poverty, and human rights violations are systemic issues rooted in a neoliberal economic model. FoEI's approach focuses on 'mobilizing, resisting, and transforming' through key concepts such as climate justice, ecological debt, and food sovereignty. The report details specific campaigns against extractive industries, GMOs, and deforestation, while highlighting the role of grassroots activism and international solidarity in achieving policy changes and protecting indigenous rights.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) marks 40 years as a global federation of 76 member groups and over 2 million collaborators. The organization advocates for environmental and social justice by opposing neoliberal economic models and 'false solutions' to the climate crisis. Its strategic framework focuses on three pillars: mobilizing public support, resisting the root causes of environmental degradation, and transforming societies through concepts like ecological debt, food sovereignty, and climate justice. FoEI's work spans diverse sectors, including opposing industrial mining and fossil fuels, protecting biodiversity and forests, and promoting sustainable, local food systems.

The document examines the critical role of MRV in the successful implementation of REDD+, highlighting the need for standardized forest definitions and robust Reference Emission Levels (RELs). It discusses the 'nested approach' to link subnational and national monitoring, the trade-offs between cost and accuracy across IPCC reporting tiers, and the institutional and technical capacity gaps in developing countries. Using examples from Indonesia, Brazil, and others, it argues for inclusive, transparent, and potentially regionalized MRV frameworks to ensure the credibility of carbon credits.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents community struggles and successes in maintaining food sovereignty and biodiversity across diverse geographic contexts. It examines the negative impacts of industrial monocultures, corporate land grabs, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) while promoting agroecology, seed saving, and community-based forest management as sustainable alternatives. The text emphasizes the role of women and indigenous peoples in protecting ecosystems and argues that food sovereignty is unattainable without the preservation of biological diversity.

The document examines technical approaches to establishing reference levels for REDD+, comparing historical baselines with forward-looking and adjusted models. It argues that while different methods exist, most produce similar emissions reductions and costs, and that prioritizing the participation of high-forest low-deforestation (HFLD) countries is essential to prevent global leakage.

The document highlights a critical gap between the economic value derived from Uganda's natural resources and the minimal budgetary support allocated to their preservation. It notes that Uganda's forests are disappearing at twice the rate of sub-Saharan Africa, driven by high population growth and a heavy reliance on biomass for over 90% of energy needs. The author details a trend of 'degazetting' protected lands for industrial and agricultural use, citing conflicts in Namanve Forest Reserve, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, and the Mabira forest. The document warns that the discovery of oil in protected areas, including the Greater Virunga Transfrontier Park, further escalates the risk of conflict between the state and civil society.

The report examines how existing corruption and weak governance in forest-rich developing countries may undermine REDD objectives and how REDD resource flows could create new incentives for rent-seeking. Through case studies in the DRC, Kenya, and Tanzania, it identifies risks such as 'carbon fraud', elite capture of funds, and the marginalisation of local communities. It suggests that while REDD can act as a catalyst for improving forest governance, success depends on tailored anti-corruption measures, independent monitoring, and the integration of REDD into national development strategies.

Brazil significantly reduced Amazon deforestation from an average of 19,508 km² per year (1996–2005) to 6,451 km² in 2009–2010, a 67 percent drop. This achievement, supported by Norway's financial contributions under the REDD+ framework, resulted in an estimated reduction of nearly 1 billion tons of global warming pollution. Brazil achieved these results through expanded protected areas, reinforced indigenous land rights, and stricter enforcement of logging laws, all while increasing agricultural production of beef and soy and reducing poverty through social programs like Fome Zero and Bolsa Familia.

The executive summary outlines the role of tropical forests in global warming, contributing approximately 15 percent of annual emissions. It advocates for the REDD+ framework to incentivize the conservation and restoration of forests in developing nations. The text highlights specific strategies for carbon sequestration, such as simulating natural regeneration in secondary forests, reduced-impact logging, and community forestry. It recommends national-level accounting baselines and international financial incentives to ensure that emissions reductions are additional and that local communities and biodiversity are protected.

The study compares the economic returns of carbon sequestration and timber harvesting in Central American tropical forests between 1990 and 2005. It finds that while timber generally offers higher face-value returns, the attractiveness of carbon-based conservation is highly dependent on carbon pricing and discount rates. The author argues that integrating co-benefits and sustainable forestry management can make carbon-focused options more competitive.

The Cancun Climate Summit is characterized as a moderate success that restored faith in the multilateral process following the Copenhagen summit. Key outcomes included the first official UN agreement to keep global temperature increases below 2°C, the recognition of voluntary emission reduction plans for 2020, and the establishment of financial mechanisms for developing countries, including a 30 billion dollar transfer for 2010-2012 and the creation of the Green Climate Fund. While the summit made progress on measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) and forest protection (REDD+), it left the decision on a second Kyoto Protocol period to the 2011 Durban summit. The authors attribute the success to the leadership of the Mexican government and the UNFCCC Executive Secretary.

This report highlights the achievements of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) over four decades, detailing specific campaigns against extractive industries, pollution, and unsustainable development. It documents legal victories, such as the ban on open-pit mining in Costa Rica and the recognition of water as a human right in Uruguay, as well as grassroots successes in reforestation in Belgium and the protection of eucalyptus forests in Australia. The text emphasizes the role of international solidarity and legal action in challenging neoliberal globalization and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

The report documents various environmental and social justice campaigns led by Friends of the Earth (FoE) member groups across the globe. Key achievements include the 2008 UK Climate Change Act, a ban on open-pit metal mining in Costa Rica (2010), and the cessation of commercial whaling in Spain (1985). The document also details ongoing resistance against coal-fired power plants in Germany and Scotland, gas flaring in Nigeria, and the impact of large-scale dams in Mozambique, South Korea, and the Philippines. It emphasizes a strategy of combining grassroots mobilization, legal challenges, and international solidarity to combat corporate globalization and protect indigenous and community rights.

The document reports that only 40% of the original tropical dry forests in the Americas remain, with only 4.5% (23,417 km2) under protection. Satellite data from 1982 to 2006 shows divergent productivity trends: increases in the Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia, northern Mexico, and the Chaqueña region of Argentina and Bolivia, but decreases in other parts of Mexico and the Brazilian Caatinga. These shifts are linked to global warming's impact on precipitation and humidity. The text warns that declining productivity reduces carbon storage and water retention, while increased productivity may inadvertently encourage further deforestation and agricultural intensification. It advocates for expanded protection, sustainable land management, and economic incentives like payments for environmental services and REDD+ to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The report details a workshop in Douala, Cameroon, focused on the implementation of REDD+ in Africa. Key discussions centered on the need for cost-effective safeguard information systems, the scalability of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) from subnational to national levels, and the role of agriculture as a driver of deforestation rather than a direct part of REDD+. Participants emphasized the necessity of transparent, equitable financing that prioritizes local experts and the integration of gender and indigenous perspectives to ensure multiple co-benefits beyond carbon sequestration.

The report details a 2011 workshop in Sierra Leone focused on applying conflict-sensitive conservation (CSC) to the Gola Rainforest National Park. Participants identified various conflicts, including wildlife-human clashes, resource access disputes, and unequal benefit-sharing. The workshop prioritized these issues based on human and conservation impacts, selecting four key conflicts for detailed analysis using conflict trees and maps to develop potential solutions.

The report examines electricity security in Southern Africa and South America, highlighting the heavy reliance of South Africa on coal and Brazil's dependence on hydropower. It argues that while both regions have vast renewable energy potential, adoption is hindered by technological lock-in, risk-averse financing, and restrictive government policies. The document advocates for regional energy integration and policy reforms to diversify energy mixes and improve sustainability.

The report analyzes the BASIC group's role in global climate diplomacy, arguing that while they appear as a unified bloc, their cooperation is conditioned by diverse domestic priorities and broader geopolitical ambitions. It examines the specific drivers for Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, and explores how the group balances its identity as developing nations with its rising global influence.

The report employs a Household Energy Economic Analysis (HHEA) model based on discrete choice analysis and stated preference surveys to understand why clean cooking technologies often fail to penetrate Sub-Saharan African markets. By surveying households in Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, and Maputo, the study argues that product-specific attributes—such as stove price, usage cost, safety, and smoke levels—are as critical as socio-economic factors in determining consumer choice. The findings reveal that low-income households are significantly more sensitive to upfront stove prices than usage costs, while higher-income groups show a greater willingness to pay for reduced smoke and increased safety. The report concludes that for bio-ethanol stoves to be viable, particularly for the poor, policies must address both the initial purchase price through subsidies or microfinance and the ongoing fuel costs.

The report advocates for Zero Net Deforestation and Forest Degradation (ZNDD) by 2020 to protect biodiversity and mitigate climate change. Using the Living Forests Model developed with IIASA, it analyzes various scenarios, including a 'Do Nothing' baseline and a 'Target' scenario. The findings suggest that while ZNDD is technically possible in the short term, maintaining it beyond 2030 will require unprecedented increases in agricultural productivity and significant shifts in global consumption patterns, particularly regarding animal calories. The document highlights critical trade-offs, such as the risk of shifting environmental pressure to non-forest biomes like grasslands and the potential for increased agricultural pollution due to intensification.