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The New York Declaration on Forests establishes a global framework to reduce natural forest loss by half by 2020 and end it by 2030. It targets the elimination of deforestation in commodity production (soy, palm oil, beef, and paper) and sets ambitious restoration goals for degraded lands. The declaration emphasizes the role of forests in sequestering carbon, supporting 1.6 billion people, and protecting 80% of terrestrial biodiversity, estimating that achieving these goals could reduce annual emissions by 4.5 to 8.8 billion tonnes by 2030.

The New York Declaration on Forests outlines a global strategy to halve the rate of natural forest loss by 2020 and end it by 2030, while restoring 350 million hectares of land by 2030. It identifies commodity production—specifically soy, palm oil, beef, and paper—as accounting for roughly half of global deforestation and argues that forest conservation is a cost-effective solution for limiting global warming to 2°C. The declaration commits to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, strengthening forest governance, and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples.

The world is off track to meet its 2030 forest goals, with global deforestation increasing by 4% in 2022. While some non-tropical regions met their targets, all tropical regions missed theirs, with Tropical Latin America and the Caribbean being the farthest off track. Primary tropical forest loss and emissions from deforestation also increased, while biodiversity continues to decline at an alarming rate. Forest restoration efforts remain fragmented and lack transparency, and forest degradation continues to pose a significant threat globally.

The guidelines outline the scope of the forest and land use result area, identifying key intervention areas such as forest restoration, sustainable management, deforestation-free supply chains, and REDD+. It defines the 'paradigm shift' required for sustainable development pathways and provides a framework for impact measurement using GCF's integrated results management framework. The document also lists indicative 'SAP-able' activities, such as blockchain for forest management and agroforestry, while explicitly excluding activities that cause resettlement or use exotic species that harm native biodiversity.

The document outlines the role of forests in climate adaptation and mitigation, identifies strategic intervention areas such as forest restoration and 'zero-deforestation' supply chains, and defines the criteria for a 'paradigm shift' in land use. It provides a performance measurement framework with specific indicators for GCF-level impacts and project results, alongside a matrix of eligible and ineligible activities for the SAP.

The document outlines the technical requirements and strategic approach for GCF projects focusing on land use and forest resources via the Simplified Approval Process (SAP). It emphasizes the dual role of forests in climate adaptation and mitigation, highlighting the importance of carbon sequestration and ecosystem services. The guide identifies key intervention areas—including forest restoration, sustainable management of protected areas, deforestation-free supply chains, and REDD+—and provides a framework for measuring impact through specific quantitative and qualitative indicators. It argues for a 'paradigm shift' that decouples economic growth from forest consumption and encourages innovative private sector financing to overcome investment barriers in nature-based solutions.

The Climate Adaptation and Protected Areas (CAPA) Initiative implements nature-based solutions for climate adaptation across the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) landscape, which spans Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The initiative focuses on restoring forest cover, stabilizing water sources, and restocking native wildlife, while providing technical and financial training to women, youth, and persons with disabilities. Specific project sites include the Cuando River basin in Angola, the Sioma Ngwezi and Mosi-Oa-Tunya ecosystems in Zambia, Bwabwata National Park in Namibia, and areas around Hwange and Chizarira National Parks in Zimbabwe.

The document examines the results of a TerraFund-financed project by Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN) to restore 200 hectares of forest and farmland in Southwestern Uganda. While SWAGEN reported planting 199,649 trees with a 98% survival rate, WRI's AI-powered satellite analysis detected a net increase of 71,122 trees, representing 36% of the projected target. The study identifies challenges in restoration monitoring, including overestimated survival rates, the slow growth of native species, and inaccuracies in geospatial boundary reporting, while concluding that the project successfully increased tree counts across all monitored areas.

The document profiles Bruno Mariani and his company, Symbiosis Investimentos, which transforms degraded cattle pasture in Bahia, Brazil, into productive native forests. By applying silviculture techniques—including genetic improvement and cloning—the company aims to produce high-quality hardwoods while conserving biodiversity. The model seeks to prove that native forest restoration is more profitable than low-yield cattle ranching, potentially offering a scalable solution for Brazil's 65 million hectares of degraded land.

The case study argues that forests influence climate stability through biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—beyond the carbon cycle. In Chile, the loss of over 40% of forest cover, particularly the matorral in the central region, has likely contributed to local temperature increases and exacerbated the 'Mega Drought' (2010-2018). The authors propose enhancing Chile's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Long-Term Climate Strategy, and REDD+ frameworks by incorporating non-carbon cooling effects as performance indicators and targets. They also suggest expanding the ARClim risk assessment platform to include deforestation-induced warming to better prioritize adaptation measures in agriculture and public health.

The document argues that forests influence climate not only through carbon sequestration but also through biophysical processes—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—which affect temperature and precipitation. In Chile, the conversion of native vegetation to crops and pastures has been linked to local surface temperature increases of up to 4°C. The authors suggest that Chile can enhance its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Long-Term Climate Strategy, and REDD+ strategies by incorporating these non-carbon effects as performance indicators and adaptation goals. Specifically, they recommend prioritizing native species over exotic plantations to maximize cooling effects and utilizing the ARClim digital platform to identify areas at risk of non-carbon warming.

The report examines the non-carbon biophysical effects of forests—albedo, evapotranspiration, surface roughness, and aerosols—and their impact on local and global temperatures and precipitation. Using Chile as a case study, it highlights how deforestation of native vegetation, such as the matorral, has contributed to local surface temperature increases. The document proposes specific policy enhancements for Chile, including adjusting its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to favor native species over exotic plantations, expanding the ARClim risk assessment platform, and incorporating biophysical indicators into the National Strategy for Climate Change and Plant Resources (ENCCRV). It suggests that Chile's approach can serve as a model for other UNFCCC parties to recognize deforestation as a climate hazard beyond carbon emissions.

The report contends that carbon markets focus exclusively on greenhouse gas emissions, failing to account for biophysical processes—such as evapotranspiration and albedo—that make tropical forests critical for cooling the planet. This omission leads to overly conservative credit valuations for tropical nations and indigenous communities, while potentially overvaluing credits from higher latitudes. The authors suggest integrating these biophysical benefits as premium attributes or CO2 equivalents to ensure a just transition and better incentivize large-scale forest conservation.

The document describes the launch of TerraMatch, a platform designed to overcome funding delays in reforestation by using an algorithm to match vetted project developers with funders based on specific preferences such as geography and restoration methods. It aims to facilitate the growth of one trillion trees to combat climate change and support vulnerable communities.

The 'Promoting Dryland Sustainable Landscapes and Biodiversity Conservation in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia' project, led by FAO and WWF, targets nine soums in the Dornod, Khentii, and Sukhbaatar provinces. It aims to restore 0.25 million hectares of land and improve the management of 1.19 million hectares of protected areas. The project focuses on climate-smart agriculture, sustainable rangeland and forest management, and the development of sustainable value chains for livestock products like cashmere and meat. Key biodiversity targets include the conservation of the Mongolian gazelle and White-naped Crane. The project is funded by the GEF with a total budget of $56,299,586, including $50,945,000 in co-financing.