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The briefing reveals a systemic lack of rules and enforcement regarding benefit sharing arrangements (BSAs) in the voluntary carbon market. An analysis by Öko-Institut found that only two of five assessed carbon standards referenced BSAs, and only four of 47 reviewed projects provided clear evidence of benefit sharing with stakeholders beyond project implementers. The document argues that payments for results (such as payments for ecosystem services) are often incorrectly conflated with benefit sharing, which should instead be a distribution of revenues. It further notes that major standards like CAR, ACR, and VCS have opposed mandatory BSA rules from the ICVCM, citing confidentiality and capacity constraints.

The document examines the prevalence and quality of benefit-sharing agreements in the voluntary carbon market (VCM). Based on an Öko-Institut study, it finds that most carbon standards and projects lack clear, enforceable mechanisms to distribute financial and non-financial benefits to local communities. It highlights a critical confusion between 'benefit-sharing' and 'payment for results' (such as salaries or payments for ecosystem services), arguing that the former should be a separate share of profits. The brief concludes that the absence of uniform definitions and the opposition of major standards to mandatory rules hinder the equitable distribution of carbon credit revenues.

The document analyzes the lack of standardized rules for benefit-sharing agreements (BSAs) in the voluntary carbon market, finding that most carbon standards and projects fail to provide evidence of equitable benefit distribution to indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs).

The document reports on a study by the Öko-Institut commissioned by Carbon Market Watch, which found that benefit-sharing arrangements (BSAs) in the voluntary carbon market are largely insufficient and lack transparency. Analysis of five carbon standards and 47 projects revealed that most standards do not require BSAs, and very few projects provide evidence of distributing benefits beyond simple performance-based payments. The brief argues that performance payments (like salaries) should not be conflated with benefit-sharing and calls for the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM) to mandate standardized, transparent BSA rules.

The National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (SNGCC) 2023–2030 of the Central African Republic seeks to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (EGIS) into all climate actions to ensure sustainable and equitable results. The strategy is structured around five strategic axes: governance and finance, sector-specific actions, capacity building, communication, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups. It identifies 112 total actions, with 31 prioritized activities estimated to cost 575,000 USD. Implementation is led jointly by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) and the Ministry for the Promotion of Gender, Protection of Women, Family and Children (MPGPFFE).

The document argues that Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) are critical to climate mitigation but face escalating violence, criminalization, and exclusion from global climate processes. It calls for the UNFCCC and COP28 parties to guarantee civic space, prioritize land tenure security—particularly for women—and integrate human rights-based protections into the Global Stocktake and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Carbon Market Watch argues for stricter transparency, monitoring, and liability frameworks for carbon removal activities under the Article 6.4 mechanism. The organization proposes that all removal-based credits be publicly tagged, monitoring periods be extended to a minimum of 100 years, and a clear distinction be made between 'avoidable' and 'unavoidable' reversals to ensure project proponents bear appropriate financial liability. It further suggests the implementation of a minimum default risk rating for buffer pool contributions and the ability to permanently ban proponents who violate human rights or cause repeated avoidable reversals.

The IAI Executive Directorate has advanced several strategic mandates from CoP-31, including the launch of a climate, environment, and health research program, the establishment of an Oceans, Islands, and Coastal Regions Committee, and the expansion of scientific diplomacy initiatives. Key achievements include the distribution of initial grants to 12 research teams across 15 countries, the development of partnerships with the University of the West Indies and the Global Change Research Center in Paraguay, and the implementation of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) Fellowship with 45 fellows. The Directorate is also coordinating regional efforts on the Amazon and tropical forests, as well as enhancing gender and indigenous inclusion through new advisory committees and targeted funding for underrepresented researchers.

The document denounces the violent repression of residents on Rempang Island who protested against a National Strategic Program to build an 'eco-city' without local consent. It highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and criminalization of indigenous peoples and social movements in Indonesia, citing similar conflicts in Wadas and Kulonprogo. The organization demands the cancellation of the Rempang project, an end to police violence, and a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in indigenous and local community territories.

Friends of the Earth International and WALHI condemn the violent police crackdown on September 7, 2023, on Rempang Island, where residents protested a government-led "eco-city" project. The statement highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and criminalization of indigenous and local communities in Indonesia, citing similar conflicts in Wadas and Kulonprogo. The organizations demand the cancellation of the Rempang eco-city plan, an end to police violence, and a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in indigenous and local territories.

The document expresses solidarity with the people of Rempang Island, Indonesia, following violent clashes on 7 September 2023. These clashes occurred when police attempted to take land measurements for a National Strategic Program to build an 'Eco-City' without local consent. The statement highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and repression in Indonesia, citing previous conflicts in Wadas village and Kulonprogo. It demands that the Indonesian government cancel the Eco-City project, stop the criminalisation of local communities, and implement a moratorium on national strategic projects in Indigenous and local territories.

The document provides a comprehensive legal framework for environmental and land rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), detailing the risks they face from extractive industries, agribusiness, and conservation efforts. It outlines fundamental rights guaranteed by the DRC Constitution and international treaties, and lists specific judicial and non-judicial mechanisms for seeking justice, including the role of civil society and international bodies like the UN and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.

The 31st meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties approved the 2023-2024 operating budget and established new research mandates focusing on the nexus of climate, health, and oceans. The meeting also authorized the creation of a Scientific Diplomacy Center, the establishment of an Advisory Committee for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and the invitation of the University of the West Indies and the Global Change Research Center of the National University of Asunción to join the Institute.

The GCF has become the largest multilateral climate finance contributor to African states, but its portfolio is heavily weighted toward mitigation (59%) over adaptation (41%), despite urgent regional needs. While the fund has successfully leveraged co-financing, particularly from Multilateral Development Banks, it faces significant efficiency challenges, including cumbersome accreditation and approval processes, language barriers for non-Anglophone states, and a paucity of Direct Access Entities (DAEs). The report recommends a strategic shift toward adaptation, streamlining access for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Fragile, Conflict and Violence (FCV) states, and increasing regional presence in Africa.

The mid-term evaluation of the RECLIMA project in El Salvador finds that while the project is strategically aligned with national priorities and has seen high adoption of agroecological practices, implementation is behind schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events. The project has successfully reached 22,718 farm families through farmer field schools and restored 4,022 hectares of ecosystems, but progress toward mid-term targets remains below expectations. Key challenges include systemic vulnerabilities of target populations, procurement delays, and a lack of a formal greenhouse gas measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system. The evaluation recommends a two-year project extension and improvements in institutional coordination and capacity building to ensure the desired paradigm shift toward climate-resilient agriculture.

Global Witness advocates for the adoption of Amendment 91 to the Financial Services and Markets Bill, which would mandate due diligence for UK financial institutions to stop the funding of illegal deforestation. The document argues that voluntary frameworks like the TNFD are insufficient and that the UK financial sector currently poses a significant risk to global forests, with an estimated $16.6 billion provided to businesses implicated in deforestation between 2015-2020.

The report analyzes the increasing engagement of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) with climate change, noting that in 2022, 52 percent of outputs to States included climate-related recommendations. It highlights a shift toward more specific demands regarding mitigation, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including children, women, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals from climate impacts and provide effective remedy. The document argues for further HRTB guidance on extraterritorial obligations and the regulation of private business actors to prevent climate-induced human rights violations.

The Gender and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from several American nations and scientific bodies, has developed a draft implementation plan for the IAI's Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy. The report recommends the adoption of draft decisions to formalize the committee's monitoring role and to establish a new Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Advisory Committee to ensure equitable participation in the Institute's scientific and strategic planning.

The document reports on the establishment and initial work of the IAI's Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, which has developed an implementation plan for the institute's gender policy. It recommends that the Conference of the Parties adopt provisional decisions to monitor this policy and establish a new Advisory Committee for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LC-AC).

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) is seeking funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to prepare a detailed project proposal titled "Ecosystem-based Approaches for transforming smallholder farming systems that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in South Africa". The preparatory phase, estimated to take 9 months, involves hiring a consultancy firm to conduct a series of ten technical studies and consultations. These activities include climate risk and vulnerability assessments, pre-feasibility studies, and gender analyses across four priority provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo. The ultimate goal is to design a project that provides tailored climate information via a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System and transforms farming systems using nature-based solutions to mitigate risks from floods, droughts, and veld fires.