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Deforestation in the Congo Basin risks reducing regional rainfall by up to 40%, which could lead to cumulative cocoa yield losses of 3.06 million tonnes across nine African countries by 2050. This supply shock is projected to drive cocoa prices to USD 68.1 per kilogram by 2050, with deforestation accounting for 40.2% of that price. EU importers could face cumulative additional costs of USD 256 billion by 2050. The report argues that investing in forest conservation, particularly community-led restoration, is more cost-effective than inaction, offering avoided costs of USD 1.8 to USD 6 for every dollar invested.

International climate finance to Brazil averaged R$ 26.6 billion per year in 2021–2022, an 84% increase from 2019–2020. Growth was primarily driven by the energy sector, specifically solar and wind power, and a significant rise in private commercial financing. While Western Europe, led by France, was the primary source, the AFOLU sector—responsible for most of Brazil's emissions—received only 11% of total funding, mostly through public multilateral sources.

The document analyzes the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and Gabon's 2023 debt-for-nature swap as models for mobilizing climate finance in Africa. CAFI, a multi-donor effort focused on REDD+, has achieved emission reductions in the DRC and Gabon but faces challenges regarding national ownership and a lack of explicit adaptation targets. Gabon's blue bond swap reduced sovereign debt by $125 million to fund marine conservation, demonstrating the potential of capital markets for conservation, though it is criticized for high transaction costs and limited transparency. The author recommends integrating adaptation objectives into CAFI, expanding the use of blended finance, and standardizing oversight for debt-for-nature swaps to prevent 'bluewashing'.

The report finds that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) would significantly increase U.S. household energy costs, lead to substantial job losses in manufacturing and clean energy, and increase greenhouse gas emissions and premature deaths. By repealing key tax credits and environmental standards, the bill is projected to shrink cumulative GDP by $1.1 trillion between 2025 and 2034 and reduce new electricity capacity by 330 GW by 2035. While the bill expands oil and gas leasing, the report argues that the resulting increase in production is offset by higher demand-driven prices for fossil fuels.

The report finds that the 2025 Reconciliation bill would significantly increase household energy costs, lead to substantial job losses, and increase greenhouse gas emissions by repealing clean energy incentives and EPA standards. Despite proposed increases in oil and gas production, the analysis suggests that higher demand for fossil fuels and the loss of low-cost renewable capacity would raise overall energy spending and decrease GDP.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has appointed five representatives from Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Peru to its new Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee (IPAC). The selection follows a call for candidates open from February 5 to March 19, 2025, which received 14 applications from across the Americas. The selected members were chosen for their ability to integrate indigenous and western knowledge systems to address global environmental change.

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) prohibits the placement or export of specific commodities—coffee, cocoa, rubber, cattle, palm oil, wood, and soy—from the EU market unless they are deforestation-free, legally produced, and covered by a due diligence statement. The regulation applies to deforestation occurring after December 31, 2020. While large companies must comply by December 30, 2025, micro and small enterprises have until June 30, 2026. SMEs benefit from specific exemptions, such as not needing to submit due diligence statements for products already covered by one and being exempt from annual public reporting. However, they remain vulnerable to indirect supply chain risks and financial repercussions if their partners fail to comply. The EU is implementing a country risk benchmarking system by June 30, 2025, to categorize countries as low, standard, or high risk. Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs) are recognized as supporting tools for risk assessment and traceability, though they do not exempt operators from their legal due diligence obligations. Non-compliance can lead to fines of at least 4% of a company's EU turnover, product confiscation, and trading bans.

The authors advocate for 'nexus solutions' that provide multiple benefits across climate, nature, and human health, citing clean cooking as a primary example of a 'triple-win' intervention.

The study introduces the MCSMA method to improve the mapping of tropical dry forest succession stages by utilizing spectral and spatial information and an evaluation framework based on RMSE, spatial distance, and fraction consistency. Tested in Costa Rica's Santa Rosa National Park, the method outperformed the MESMA approach in reducing error across early, intermediate, and late successional stages.

The research examines protected area (PA) strategies in the Brazilian Amazon, finding that deforestation impacts vary significantly by region and time period. While impacts are consistently higher within the 'arc of deforestation', there is no consistent ranking of PA types by their overall impact. The study notes that PA siting differs by region—with those in the arc of deforestation being relatively far from non-forest areas—and that internal deforestation patterns across PA types became more similar after 2000.

The document assesses the gap between Colombia's robust policy frameworks for the 2030 Agenda and climate goals and their actual implementation, which is hindered by conflicting priorities and institutional weaknesses. It highlights that while most land-use policies are synergistic, specific conflicts—particularly within mining legislation—and the criminalization of peasant farmers through military operations like Operation Artemisa undermine conservation efforts. The authors argue that overcoming this incoherence requires better inter-agency coordination, community engagement, and regional cooperation within the Amazon biome.

The document outlines the methodological frameworks used to quantify climate finance needs for agrifood systems. It establishes a comprehensive taxonomy developed by CPI and FAO covering sectors such as crop and livestock systems, forestry, fisheries, and food diets. The 'top-down' approach aggregates data from 46 publications, using seven key reports to estimate needs for 2024-2030, while the 'bottom-up' approach extrapolates data from 167 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The analysis highlights significant data gaps for the post-2030 period and notes that agrifood system finance needs in low-income countries represent a larger relative proportion of their economy, averaging 2.7% of GDP.

The report finds that while agrarian reform settlements occupy only 8% of the Amazon biome, they accounted for 24% of forest loss in 2023. Deforestation is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements responsible for 65% of the deforested area between 2017 and 2023. Evidence suggests that large-scale clearing is driven by external actors rather than resident settlers, as the scale of deforestation is incompatible with family farming. The report recommends that INCRA, IBAMA, and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change prioritize strategic interventions in these high-impact settlements and specific regional superintendencies, particularly those in Santarém, Amazonas, and Southern Pará.

The report finds that while agrarian reform settlements occupy only 8% of the Amazon biome, they accounted for 24% of its forest loss in 2023. Deforestation is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements responsible for 65% of the loss in settled areas between 2017 and 2023. The analysis suggests that large-scale clearing is likely driven by external actors rather than smallholder farmers. Geographically, 63% of this deforestation is concentrated in three Incra Regional Superintendencies: Santarém, Sul do Pará, and Amazonas. The authors recommend that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Ibama, and Incra implement focalized interventions in these priority settlements to enhance conservation.

The report finds that while agrarian reform settlements occupy only 8% of the Amazon biome, they accounted for 24% of its forest loss in 2023. Deforestation is highly concentrated, with 5% of settlements responsible for 65% of the deforested area between 2017 and 2023. Evidence suggests that forest loss is driven by external actors rather than resident settlers, as 75% of vegetation loss in these areas involves plots larger than 6.25 hectares, a pattern inconsistent with small-scale family farming. The report highlights that three INCRA regional superintendencies—Santarém, Amazonas, and Southern Pará—account for 63% of deforestation in settled areas. It recommends that the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), IBAMA, and INCRA implement targeted action plans for these priority settlements to enhance conservation effectiveness.

The Structured Finance for Nature (SFN) instrument uses a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in Singapore to aggregate a diversified portfolio of natural assets, combining equity, mezzanine finance, and green bonds. It aims to overcome barriers such as high upfront costs and small project sizes to protect and restore one million hectares of forest and wetlands. The pilot project in Agusan del Sur, Philippines, focuses on protecting 91,000 hectares of forest, with future expansions planned for Cambodia, Bhutan, and Indonesia. The model emphasizes high-integrity carbon credits, a 20% minimum benefit-sharing allocation for local and Indigenous communities, and real-time monitoring via a proprietary dashboard.

The document asserts that UN REDD+ was not designed as a market mechanism and lacks the necessary requirements for additionality, permanence, and robust quantification to qualify as high-quality carbon credits under Article 6.2. It highlights that while ITMOs have stronger reporting and anti-double-counting rules, neither system provides sufficient third-party verification or monitoring after activity conclusion. The author concludes that forest-related activities are ill-suited for offsetting due to inflated baselines and risks of non-permanence, urging a shift toward non-market-based financing.

The document examines how collusive corruption—where officials and private individuals collaborate to violate rules—undermines community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). Using a hypothetical scenario based on timber auction rigging in Nepal, it illustrates how sawmill owners, contractors, local politicians, and forest officials form networks of mutual support and reciprocity to defraud communities. To counter this, the guide proposes behavioral science interventions: addressing 'present bias' by monetizing long-term losses, using 'salience bias' to make illegal logging impacts more emotionally resonant, and challenging the perception that informal payments are not corruption. It recommends cultivating 'champions' among youth and integrity-driven community members, providing incentives for honest law enforcement, and transitioning brokers into certified service providers. The guide concludes with a framework for prevention and persuasion at both individual and institutional levels.

The document operationalizes 12 integrity principles for benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSMs) in nature-based solutions (NbS) through four governance pillars: full and effective participation, transparency and accountability, fairness, and effectiveness. It provides a framework for conducting jurisdictional context analysis and offers specific guidance on identifying stakeholders, avoiding elite capture, managing resource flows, and establishing grievance redress mechanisms to ensure that environmental results translate into equitable socioeconomic benefits.

The report analyzes deforestation policies in five producing countries—Costa Rica, Gabon, Indonesia, Peru, and Rwanda—to identify successful strategies for forest conservation. It highlights seven key success factors for governments in the Global South, including the use of tailored measure combinations, targeting high-risk areas, and leveraging both public and private funding. Additionally, it examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can complement legal regulations to help private sector actors reach net-zero emissions, though it notes that limited alignment and low corporate uptake currently hinder their impact.