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Carbon Market Watch urges Verra to move away from the 'tonne-for-tonne' offsetting model, particularly for AFOLU projects, due to permanence risks and the potential for corporate greenwashing. The submission recommends adopting a 'contribution model' where finance supports climate action without claiming neutrality. It also calls for greater financial transparency regarding intermediaries, a more accessible and independent grievance mechanism for indigenous peoples and local communities, and the banning of methodologies that support fossil fuel infrastructure.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is seeking nominations to replace four committee members whose mandates expire in June 2023. Three vacancies are for the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) and one for the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). Nominations will be addressed at the 31st Conference of the Parties in Panama City from June 21-22, 2023. The IAI emphasizes the need for international recognition in global change science in the Americas, interdisciplinary experience, and a desire for better geographic, gender, and ethnic balance, specifically noting underrepresentation from South America, the Caribbean, and the Tropical Andes.

Carbon Market Watch (CMW) argues that the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body must establish a robust, independent grievance mechanism before registering any carbon crediting projects to protect indigenous peoples and local communities. Drawing on a review by Perspectives Climate Research, CMW finds that most voluntary carbon market (VCM) standards—including Verra, American Carbon Registry, and Climate Action Reserve—have inadequate mechanisms, while the Global Carbon Council lacks one entirely. Only the Gold Standard and the Green Climate Fund's Independent Redress Mechanism are identified as high-quality models. CMW recommends that the Article 6.4 mechanism be fully independent, transparent, and accessible, featuring a public grievance repository and the power to overturn Supervisory Body decisions.

The report evaluates grievance mechanisms across various carbon market standards and funds, using UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a benchmark. It finds that most voluntary carbon market (VCM) standards have opaque or insufficient mechanisms, while the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Gold Standard provide more robust models. The authors recommend that the Article 6.4 mechanism prioritize accessibility, transparency through public repositories, independence, and the ability to provide binding remedies, including the power to overturn Supervisory Body decisions.

The proposal identifies significant governance, technical, and financial gaps that prevent sub-national governments in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) from contributing to their countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It proposes a 27-month program implemented by UCLG Africa to build local capacity, establish a 'Partnership Framework' for better coordination between national and local authorities, and develop a pipeline of high-quality climate projects using the Enhanced Direct Access (EDA) modality.

The toolkit lists various resources for forest monitoring and accountability. It highlights Global Forest Watch's suite of tools, including Forest Watcher and MapBuilder, and data-driven transparency initiatives like Trase and Supply Change. It also identifies frameworks for land rights and coalitions such as the Accountability Framework Initiative and the Tropical Forest Alliance aimed at eliminating deforestation from supply chains.

The Stakeholder Toolkit is a directory of resources for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs). It categorizes tools into training for international climate conferences (such as COP27), data-sharing and monitoring software (like Forest Watcher and Mapeo), and guides for companies and subnational governments to respect land and forest tenure rights. It also lists key global alliances and organizations, such as the Rights and Resources Initiative and the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, that support the rights of forest communities and the protection of nature.

The GCF is 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 GCF has effectively leveraged co-financing, particularly through Multilateral Development Banks, it faces significant challenges in direct access, with only 18 Direct Access Entities (DAEs) accredited across 13 countries. The evaluation highlights cumbersome and rigid procedural barriers, including an English-only policy and high transaction costs, which hinder access for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Fragile, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) states. Gender-related co-benefits are growing, but engagement with indigenous peoples remains limited. The report recommends shifting the portfolio toward adaptation, streamlining accreditation and fee structures, and increasing regional presence in Africa.

The document emphasizes that environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) are critical for determining project conditions and ensuring benefits for affected communities. It argues that project approvals should depend on general community support, or a 'social licence to operate', to prevent conflicts such as protests and roadblocks. Drawing on the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development’s (IGF) 2020 guidance, the report provides case studies of legal frameworks that cover a mine's entire life cycle to help other jurisdictions improve their ESIA processes.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global deforestation remains significantly above the trajectory required to meet 2030 targets, with 6.6 million hectares of gross deforestation in 2022. While some countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have reduced deforestation, overall progress is undermined by insufficient public funding—only $2.2 billion annually—and a lack of corporate and financial accountability. The report emphasizes that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies likely to drive tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical shift in development models, increased transparency, and the direct funding of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to protect high-integrity forests.

The 2023 assessment of the Forest Declaration reveals that the world is failing to meet 2030 targets to stop deforestation, with 2022 gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some regions like tropical Asia show progress, massive losses continue in Latin America, Africa, and boreal/temperate forests. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only $2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and highlights that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies risking tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development paths and the prioritization of indigenous peoples and local communities as effective forest managers.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to eliminate deforestation by 2030, with global gross deforestation in 2022 reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some countries and regions, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, show progress, these are outweighed by massive losses in Latin America, Africa, North America, and Europe. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that only USD 2.2 billion in annual public funds are channeled to forests, while private financial institutions provided USD 6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies at risk of driving tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development pathways, increased transparency, and direct investment in Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure forest ecosystems.

The 2023 Mining Policy Framework (MPF) provides a comprehensive set of guidelines for governments to manage the full mining life cycle. It is organized into six pillars: laws, policies, and institutions; financial benefits; socio-economic benefits; environmental management; post-mining transition; and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The framework emphasizes the need for transparent fiscal regimes, inclusive community engagement, rigorous environmental protections—including climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reductions—and the formalization of the ASM sector to improve livelihoods and safety.

The document analyzes the gap between the formal legal recognition of climate justice and its practical application in Africa's mining and petroleum sectors. It highlights systemic failures in enforcement, the limitations of current judicial and administrative sanctions, and the marginalization of local communities. The report advocates for a shift toward 'active' judiciaries, the adoption of specific climate laws, and the strengthening of corporate due diligence to protect vulnerable populations from the environmental and social impacts of extractive activities.

The document analyzes the vulnerabilities of rural indigenous populations in Mexico and Colombia, specifically regarding health, food security, and economic stability during the COVID-19 pandemic. It details two pilot projects—one in the Sierra Norte de Puebla (Mexico) focusing on productive strengthening and community savings, and another in the Resguardo El Refugio (Colombia) focusing on ancestral knowledge and youth entrepreneurship. The brief argues that resilience is best achieved through decentralized decision-making, intersectional policy design, and the integration of youth and women into leadership roles.

The report highlights that community-held lands, covering approximately 50% of the world's land, often exhibit higher species richness and lower deforestation rates than state-managed protected areas (PAs). It argues that tenure security is fundamental to these positive outcomes, citing significant reductions in forest clearing in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazons following land titling. Despite this, the document notes a severe funding gap, with only a small fraction of global biodiversity finance reaching community organizations. It also warns that 'fortress conservation' has led to mass evictions and human rights violations, calling for a shift toward rights-based conservation and the use of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to meet global targets like the 30x30 goal.

Friends of the Earth International calls for a Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) based on environmental integrity, human rights, and binding government regulation of business. The organization rejects 'false solutions' such as offsetting, 'Nature Positive' concepts, and corporate self-regulation, arguing that these facilitate continued biodiversity loss. Key demands include the recognition of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) as primary guardians of biodiversity, a transition from industrial agriculture to agroecology, and the provision of new, additional public financial resources for developing countries based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Friends of the Earth International calls for a Global Biodiversity Framework based on environmental integrity and human rights, rejecting corporate self-regulation and 'false solutions' like nature-based offsets. The organization advocates for the recognition of indigenous peoples' land rights, a transition to agroecology, and the provision of new, public international financial resources for developing countries to implement biodiversity goals.

The proposal seeks USD 654,320 to address barriers in Chile's subnational climate action, specifically the lack of alignment between local and national instruments, limited technical capacity, and insufficient knowledge of climate finance. The project, implemented by the FAO over 24 months, focuses on training programs for regional and municipal officials, technical support for developing Regional Climate Change Action Plans (PARCCs), and a communication strategy to engage stakeholders and promote GCF funding.

The statement asserts that low-income communities in the Global South and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by climate change but are excluded from media representation and policy conversations. It argues that ensuring these groups have access to affordable digital platforms and communication tools is vital for implementing viable climate justice solutions, despite the likelihood that COP27's final texts will ignore the role of communications.