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The New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) is a statement of commitment to protect global forests, citing their role in supporting 80% of terrestrial biodiversity and absorbing carbon. The declaration sets specific targets for 2030, including halting natural forest loss, restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land, and reducing emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. It emphasizes the necessity of including indigenous peoples and local communities in governance and solutions to achieve these goals, which could mitigate 7.8 to 11.0 billion tonnes of CO2e annually by 2030.

The document outlines the objectives of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), noting that the goal to halve deforestation by 2020 was not met. It identifies key drivers of forest loss, such as large-scale infrastructure, extractive industries, and specific agricultural commodities, while highlighting the role of indigenous peoples as forest guardians. The text calls for urgent systemic change, increased financial transparency, and the implementation of alternative development models to protect forests as a climate solution.

The New York Declaration on Forests establishes a series of global targets to reduce natural forest loss by half by 2020 and end it by 2030, alongside goals for reforestation and the elimination of deforestation from commodity production.

The New York Declaration on Forests outlines goals to halve the rate of natural forest loss by 2020 and end it by 2030, while restoring hundreds of millions of hectares of degraded land. It emphasizes the role of forests in sequestering carbon to limit global warming to 2°C and targets the elimination of deforestation driven by commodity production such as soy, palm oil, and cattle.

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 GCF approved USD 3.7 billion for 76 projects across 79 developing countries, targeting a reduction of 1.3 billion metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Key operational developments include the launch of the Simplified Approval Process (SAP) Pilot Scheme, the adoption of an Indigenous Peoples Policy, and the establishment of an Environmental and Social Policy. The fund is also preparing for its first formal replenishment process and expanding its private sector engagement through dedicated pilot programmes for MSMEs and resource mobilization at scale.

Between August 2021 and July 2022, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved USD 1.69 billion for 19 new projects, bringing its total approved funding to USD 10.4 billion across 196 projects. The Fund updated key policies, including the Private Sector Strategy and the Simplified Approval Process, and launched the GCF-2 replenishment process. Significant efforts were made to support vulnerable regions, with 65% of adaptation funding in grant equivalent terms allocated to LDCs, SIDS, and African States. The GCF also expanded its network of accredited entities and continued its Independent Evaluation Unit's assessments of portfolio effectiveness.

The GCF Environmental and Social Policy defines a comprehensive framework for managing environmental and social risks across all GCF-financed activities. It mandates that accredited entities maintain an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and adhere to a mitigation hierarchy to avoid, minimize, or compensate for adverse impacts. The policy introduces a risk-based categorization system (Categories A, B, and C for activities; I1, I2, and I3 for intermediaries) to determine the depth of required assessments and stakeholder engagement. Key protections are specified for indigenous peoples, including the requirement for free, prior and informed consent in applicable circumstances, as well as safeguards for human rights, gender equality, and biodiversity. The framework also establishes a three-tier grievance redress system operating at the GCF, accredited entity, and activity levels.

The policy brief contends that existing social contracts are broken due to rising inequality and distrust in institutions, which undermines climate resilience. It proposes building an intersectional alliance of climate and inequality champions to redefine a social contract that integrates climate justice, decent work, and human rights to facilitate a fair green transition. The document highlights various global examples of this shift, including citizen assemblies in France and legal challenges in South Africa.

The COP30 Resilience Hub Report details the outcomes of the climate summit in Belém, Brazil, highlighting a mix of incremental progress and persistent gaps in adaptation finance and implementation. Key achievements include the adoption of 59 indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a political commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035, and the establishment of a Global Just Transition Mechanism. The report also showcases Peru's national resilience model, which integrates Indigenous governance and a comprehensive 'Country Package for forests and nature'. However, it notes significant misalignments between short-term political/financial cycles and long-term climate risks, and emphasizes that less than 1% of climate finance currently reaches Indigenous peoples and local communities.

The EU is establishing Strategic Partnerships with 14 countries to secure critical minerals for its 2050 climate neutrality goal. Global Witness argues that these deals prioritize resource access over social and environmental governance, citing specific risks in Serbia, Rwanda, Australia, Argentina, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The author calls for the EU to implement stringent safeguards and transparent 'Roadmaps' to ensure the energy transition does not perpetuate human rights abuses or environmental destruction.

Between 2021 and 2023, mining for copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel was linked to 334 incidents of violence or protest across 19 top-producing countries, averaging 111 per year. Nearly 90% of these events occurred in emerging and developing economies, while the majority of production is controlled by companies from advanced economies and major consumer countries, primarily China. The report warns that social unrest is likely to increase as production is forecast to spike by 2028 to meet climate goals, potentially destabilizing supply chains and increasing costs for renewable technologies.

Global Witness reports that 196 land and environmental defenders were murdered in 2023, bringing the total since 2012 to 2,106. The report highlights Latin America as the most dangerous region, with Colombia recording the highest number of deaths. It identifies mining as the primary sector linked to these killings and details a global trend of 'judicial harassment' and restrictive anti-protest laws in the UK, US, and EU. The document emphasizes the disproportionate targeting of Indigenous peoples and calls for the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and better corporate due diligence.

A coalition of NGOs and trade unions acknowledges improvements in the Responsible Jewellery Council's (RJC) 2019 Code of Practices, specifically the adoption of OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the Minamata Convention. However, the letter argues that significant gaps remain regarding indigenous rights, human rights instruments, and environmental standards. The authors express concern over a phase-in period that could delay full compliance until 2024 and call for greater transparency in the auditing and certification process.

The report documents a pattern of forced evictions, illegal chemical fumigations, and the criminalization of land defenders in eastern Paraguay, driven by the expansion of industrial soy production. It identifies US traders ADM, Cargill, and Bunge as primary conduits, linking these abuses to European meat processors 2 Sisters and Danish Crown. The document argues that voluntary sustainability initiatives and 'mass balance' certification schemes are insufficient to prevent the import of 'tainted' soy into the EU and UK, and calls for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.

Global Witness is calling for COP30 to address the climate and human rights impacts of the 'transition minerals' boom. The organization argues that the extraction of copper, cobalt, lithium, and rare earths is currently causing deforestation and destroying carbon sinks, which undermines net-zero goals. They propose that the UNFCCC formally endorse the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Expert Advisory Group (HLEAG) to develop binding international guidelines for responsible sourcing, protect vital carbon-storage ecosystems as 'no-go zones', and ensure the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous peoples.

Global Witness critiques COP26 as a failure that lacked urgency and accountability, noting that the summit allowed fossil fuel lobbyists significant access while excluding many affected communities. The organization highlights the inadequacy of voluntary pledges on deforestation and the failure to secure comprehensive agreements on phasing out oil, gas, and fossil fuel subsidies, concluding that the commitments made are insufficient to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.

The document details how the 'nickel fever' for electric vehicle batteries is threatening the biodiversity and indigenous communities of Raja Ampat, Papua. It highlights the ecological destruction of coral reefs and mangroves caused by sediment runoff from open-pit mining, the violation of indigenous land rights, and the contradiction of a 'green transition' powered by coal-fired smelters. The report identifies specific companies operating in the region and calls for the Indonesian government and international stakeholders to halt mining in small islands and enforce strict human rights and environmental due diligence.

Global Witness reports that Maxland (PNG) Limited, controlled by the Joinland Group, is using a purported rubber plantation project on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, as a cover for illegal logging. The investigation finds that the company has failed to plant the promised millions of rubber trees, has bypassed provincial government rejections of its permits, and has operated without legitimate landowner consent. The report links the destruction of this biodiversity hotspot to financial institutions in Malaysia, Singapore, Norway, and the US, and notes that the harvested timber is exported to China and Japan.