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The report advocates for a 'New Security Agenda' that treats clean energy and ecosystem health as critical national security infrastructure. It argues that breaching planetary boundaries and relying on volatile fossil fuel markets create systemic risks to food security, public health, and economic stability. The authors call for binding legislative measures to phase out fossil fuels, the adoption of national restoration plans for biodiversity, and the alignment of public budgets to eliminate environmentally harmful subsidies.

The report argues that the European Central Bank (ECB) fails to account for the biodiversity risks associated with the fossil fuel industry in its monetary and supervisory operations. Despite recognizing nature-related risks, the ECB maintains assets from high-risk fossil fuel companies in its corporate portfolios and allows them as collateral. Furthermore, the report finds that EU banks under ECB supervision provided US$161 billion to companies with fossil fuel projects in critical biodiversity areas between 2021 and 2025. The authors recommend that the ECB adopt a 'double materiality' approach, exclude biodiversity-harming fossil fuel companies from its portfolios and collateral framework, and require banks to implement roadmaps to cease financing such activities.

The report analyzes the evolution of 'net zero' and 'nature positive' concepts, detailing how they are operationalized through taxonomies and methodologies in the financial sector. It highlights the interdependence of climate and nature crises, arguing for an integrated 'net-zero nature-positive' (NZNP) finance approach to manage compounding risks and leverage synergies, while noting that a unified NZNP definition and measurement protocol do not yet exist.

The report assesses the economic burden of single-use plastics on Canada's waste systems and ecosystems, highlighting a critical lack of item-level data. It advocates for the use of volumetric measurements in waste audits and introduces a Plastic Waste Cost Calculator to help municipalities estimate and compare management costs across various waste streams.

The study evaluates the financial and environmental burden of eight common single-use plastics in Canada. It finds a significant lack of consistent data across municipalities, with costs often underestimated because they are based on weight rather than the high volume these plastics occupy. The report highlights that cigarette butts are the most frequent litter item, while plastic bottles and cups generate substantial management costs. It also estimates that microplastic pollution could risk between 0.5 and 2.16 billion CAD annually in Canadian agricultural production for wheat and corn. To address these gaps, the authors developed a 'Plastic Waste Cost Calculator' tool for local authorities and recommend shifting toward volumetric waste measurement and standardized data collection.

Germany's coffee industry, worth EUR 20 billion annually, faces significant risks as over 98% of its imports originate from countries highly or moderately vulnerable to climate change. Climate-induced supply shocks led to a 43% increase in roasted coffee prices for German consumers in 2025. To counter this, Germany utilizes climate finance through bodies like GIZ and BMZ to fund adaptation projects, such as agroforestry and regenerative techniques, in producing regions. Examples include the Yayu Forest Biosphere Reserve project in Ethiopia and the Coffee++ initiative in Asia and Africa, which aim to stabilize yields and diversify supply sources to reduce dependence on volatile markets like Brazil and Vietnam.

The research finds that conservation policies in the Brazilian Amazon that successfully reduced deforestation generally failed to reduce forest degradation, which continues to impact carbon stocks, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

The SAVi assessment of the Bogotá River recovery project demonstrates that hybrid infrastructure—integrating nature-based interventions like wetland restoration with conventional systems—generated USD 349 million in net benefits. The project achieved a return of USD 1.27 for every USD 1 invested, primarily driven by USD 828 million in avoided flood damages and USD 554 million in value from improved water quality and ecosystem services.

The project aims to reduce urban climate vulnerabilities in Ethiopia through a combination of national policy frameworks, city-level Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and sustainable financing. In Addis Ababa, interventions focus on the Jemo-Harbu River corridor, including reforestation of Jemo Mountain, riverbank stabilization, and the creation of green canopies to mitigate heat and flood risks. In Jimma, the project targets the Awetu River catchment through reforestation, agroforestry, and wetland rehabilitation. Nationally, it establishes an Inter-Sectoral Coordination Committee and a knowledge portal to mainstream NbS into urban planning. The initiative is supported by a total of USD 47 million, with USD 25 million from the Green Climate Fund and USD 22 million from KOICA, targeting a total of 1,780,947 direct and indirect beneficiaries.

The document argues that financial institutions (FIs) have a responsibility to stop financing activities that drive biodiversity degradation, particularly fossil fuel activities. It proposes a minimum foundation of scientific frameworks—centered on Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and supplemented by marine and carbon-critical ecosystem frameworks—to define 'no-go zones' where fossil fuel projects should be strictly prohibited. The note emphasizes that existing protected area statuses are often insufficient for effective conservation and suggests the implementation of buffer zones (10 km terrestrial, 50 km marine) to mitigate the wider impact radius of fossil fuel activities.

The author argues that the IPBES Assessment on Businesses and Biodiversity relies on the flawed assumption that companies lack awareness of their environmental impacts. The text asserts that biodiversity destruction remains profitable, leading companies to lobby against regulations. It highlights the failure of voluntary corporate actions, noting that less than 1% of reporting companies significantly disclose biodiversity impacts. The author rejects market-based instruments like biodiversity credits and certifications as 'false solutions' and 'greenwashing,' calling instead for binding international norms and strict limits on corporate impacts to prevent ecological collapse.

Nedbank implemented the TNFD LEAP framework to assess nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities (DIROs) within its credit portfolio, primarily focusing on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Using a double materiality lens and tools like ENCORE and the WWF Water Risk Filter, the bank identified six priority sectors—real estate, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, mining and quarrying, energy, and agriculture—based on financial exposure and nature-related scores. While real estate had the highest financial exposure but low nature impact, primary sectors like agriculture and mining showed high dependency and impact. A specific review of a mining client revealed operational interfaces with Critical Biodiversity Areas and Strategic Groundwater Resource Areas, highlighting risks associated with South Africa's water scarcity. The bank is now moving into Phase 2 to quantify financial risks and identify nature-positive lending opportunities.

The document addresses the financing gap for urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in India, where investment remains heavily dependent on public funds. It proposes a three-step guidance framework: identifying the enabling policy environment, leveraging financial and business mechanisms, and applying a nine-factor project evaluation framework. The guide maps existing Indian national and sub-national policies—including forestry, water, and infrastructure schemes—that can be leveraged for NbS. It also catalogues various financial instruments (such as municipal bonds, green bonds, and blended finance) and business models (including carbon credits and user-pay systems) to improve project bankability. A repository of nine global and domestic case studies, such as Chennai's municipal bonds for stormwater drainage and Chicago's Tax Increment Financing for green roofs, illustrates replicable approaches for Indian urban contexts.

The 'Greenprints for the Future Student Project Plan' is a guide for educators and students in grades 6-12 to learn about biodiversity and sustainability. It outlines a four-step process—Learn, Connect, Investigate, and Act—to move from theoretical knowledge of ecosystem services to the creation of a practical, sustainable action plan addressing a local environmental problem. The final 'ACT' step is a requirement for students seeking a funding opportunity, which evaluates projects based on their alignment with program objectives, originality, and potential for lasting impact.

The report examines the state of nature-related financial disclosures in South Africa, noting that while awareness is growing, formal adoption of the TNFD framework remains low. It advocates for the LEAP (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare) methodology as a practical tool for companies to identify their dependencies on nature and manage associated financial and operational risks. The document highlights specific applications for the mining and agriculture sectors and emphasizes the need for technical capacity building and cross-sector collaboration to transition toward a nature-positive economy.

The report finds that nature-related financial disclosures among large South African companies are in their infancy, with most firms relying on existing climate governance structures that do not yet substantively address biodiversity. While there is high awareness of the TNFD framework, formal adoption is very low, with only four companies having adopted it by the end of 2025. The analysis highlights significant gaps in board-level accountability, a lack of specific biodiversity metrics, and limited engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The report recommends that companies leverage their more mature climate reporting systems to fast-track the adoption of TNFD recommendations and integrate nature-based solutions into their value chains.

The City of Cape Town utilized integrated cost-benefit analyses provided by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to reverse funding cuts for its Liveable Urban Waterways (LUW) Programme. By quantifying the economic value of nature-based infrastructure (NBI) through avoided costs and co-benefits, the city demonstrated that investments in the Diep/Sand and Zeekoe catchments would generate significant net gains and save up to ZAR 55 million on dredging and canal refurbishment. Consequently, the city approved nearly ZAR 200 million for LUW projects, including wetland creation and canal naturalization, and plans to apply this economic modeling to future investments exceeding ZAR 1 billion.

The report argues that forests and trees are essential allies to agriculture, providing critical regulation of climate, water, and ecosystem functions. It challenges the perception of forests and agriculture as competing land uses, demonstrating that synergies between the two are vital for sustainable agrifood system transformation and the support of crops and rural workers.

The document examines three private natural reserves in Brazil (Legado das Águas, Reserva Natural Vale, and Parque das Neblinas) as models of private sector contribution to biodiversity conservation. It details their histories, governance, and ecological impacts, while discussing the challenges of social inclusion and the potential for these areas to be recognized as OECMs to support global and national biodiversity targets.

The report examines Bolivia's conservation landscape, highlighting a tension between formal state strategies and local practices. While Bolivia has a robust system of protected areas and land tenure, conservation outside these areas is often hindered by state priorities favoring extractivism and agribusiness. The document argues that indigenous territories and community-led initiatives offer significant potential for OECM recognition, provided that the state shifts toward a more inclusive, less bureaucratic, and better-funded support system that aligns with local livelihoods.