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The report provides a comparative analysis of community forestry laws across five Congo Basin countries, detailing the legal basis, duration, surface area, and allocation processes for community forests. It highlights significant systemic weaknesses, including the lack of recognition for customary land rights, complex bureaucratic procedures, and the risk of elite capture, which hinder the effectiveness of community-led forest management in the region.

The document examines five international case studies to guide Ghana in operationalizing its Environmental Protection Act, 2025. It highlights the risks of transacting carbon before establishing legal frameworks, as seen in Liberia, and the benefits of statutory community benefit-sharing floors, as implemented in Kenya. The analysis contrasts state-centered models in Zambia and Indonesia with Australia's property-law approach, where carbon rights are registrable interests in land. The briefing concludes with seven specific recommendations for Ghana, including the definition of carbon rights as transactable interests and the mandate of community development agreements to ensure free, prior and informed consent.

The document identifies a critical legal gap in Ghana: while the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) regulates carbon market operations, it does not define who owns forest carbon. Consequently, ownership is currently inferred from a complex mix of land tenure, tree tenure, and customary law. The briefing analyzes two competing legal classifications—treating carbon as an ecosystem service versus a natural resource—and argues that the chosen model significantly impacts whether local farmers and communities receive direct benefits. It recommends a hybrid approach that maintains State regulatory oversight while statutorily guaranteeing benefit entitlements for those who steward the forests, utilizing Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs) as a practical delivery mechanism.

The report by ClientEarth and Global Witness advocates for a comprehensive EU-wide mandatory due diligence framework to replace failing voluntary corporate commitments. It highlights the EU's role in driving global deforestation and human rights abuses, particularly in the agricultural sector. The authors propose a system based on OECD Guidelines that covers all EU-based companies and investors, regardless of size, and includes strict transparency requirements, a robust penalty regime, and access to justice for affected parties outside the EU.

The document argues that insecure land rights in Brazil lead to increased violence, deforestation, and agricultural inefficiency. It highlights that Brazil ranks 76th out of 129 countries for secure physical property rights, with significant portions of federal land in the Amazon illegally occupied. The insecurity is attributed to a complex institutional system involving 11 federal executive bodies, poor recordkeeping, and a lack of integrated databases. The text notes that 20% of Brazil's total area consists of vacant lands prone to illegal occupation and that land disputes resulted in 770 homicides between 1994 and 2015.

The document defines various land tenure categories in the Amazon biome, distinguishing between public, private, and protected areas, as well as specific designations for indigenous lands, quilombola areas, and rural settlements.

Signatories call on the UK government to revoke authorization for two CDM projects managed by Exportadora del Atlántico (a subsidiary of Grupo Dinant) in the Aguan and Lean regions of Honduras. The letter argues that the projects are linked to violent land conflicts, including the murder of peasants and the use of project sites by military forces. Additionally, it challenges the 'additionality' of the projects, noting that the company received millions in loans from the World Bank's IFC and the Inter-American Investment Corporation for biogas production, which was not disclosed in the project documentation.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the current Sustainable Development (SD) Tool under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement lacks robust safeguards for communities affected by land-intensive projects. The organization recommends a fundamental reconsideration of the Tool's structure, advocating for shared decision-making mechanisms, independent validation by Designated Operational Entities (DOEs), the primacy of international human rights standards over weak national laws, and the expansion of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) to all affected communities and land-related impacts.

The report documents a systemic 'environment of fear' in South Africa's mining regions, where activists facing environmental and social harms from mining are targeted with physical violence, death threats, and legal harassment. It highlights the failure of the South African government to protect these defenders and the role of municipalities in imposing extra-legal restrictions on peaceful assembly. The document also details the use of SLAPP suits and social media attacks by mining companies to silence opposition, while noting the severe environmental and health costs of mining, including water pollution and respiratory diseases.

The statement by Friends of the Earth International denounces the installation of a 'narco-state' in Honduras following a 2009 coup d'état, highlighting the systemic violence against environmental and human rights defenders. It specifically cites the assassinations of Berta Cáceres and Margarita Murillo and threats against the Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH). The document advocates for internationalist solidarity to protect defenders fighting against mining, hydroelectric dams, and African palm exploitation, while praising the Internationalist Solidarity System (ISS) for its role in pressuring governments and supporting local groups.

The report documents a series of interregional exchanges between youth activists from Africa and Europe, focusing on the intersection of environmental justice, colonialism, and systemic oppression. It provides practical learning tools for analyzing historical inequalities and dismantling patriarchy, while highlighting the challenges of interregional solidarity, such as visa restrictions for African activists. Personal testimonies emphasize the impact of industrial pollution in South Africa and the marginalization of youth in Liberia, arguing that true climate justice requires freedom of movement and a genuine commitment to listening to the Global South.

The document argues that community forest management (CFM) is a more effective strategy for forest conservation and poverty reduction than industrial logging or strict state protection. It identifies seven key rights—state obligations, self-determination, consultation, territorial rights, livelihoods and economic development, women's rights, and cultural/traditional knowledge—and maps these against international legal frameworks to provide a tool for advocates to pressure governments for the legal recognition of community-led forestry.

The statement by Friends of the Earth International and partner organizations denounces the RAI framework as a tool to legitimize land grabbing. It argues that large-scale land acquisitions are driven by financial speculation and result in human rights violations, environmental degradation, and threats to food security. The authors demand the cancellation of existing land grab agreements and the adoption of food sovereignty and agroecological models based on small-scale farming.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) opposes REDD, arguing that carbon markets and financial incentives fail to address the root causes of climate change and instead lead to 'green grabbing' and the erosion of traditional forest management. The document contends that REDD shifts responsibility away from industrialized nations and threatens the land rights and cultural values of forest-dependent populations. FoEI proposes an alternative based on the legal recognition of Indigenous and community land rights, collective forest management, and a structural transition away from fossil fuels based on climate justice.

The report documents various grassroots initiatives by Friends of the Earth (FoE) groups in Asia and the Pacific, focusing on community forest management, social and solidarity economies, food rights, and renewable energy. It advocates for a systemic transformation of economic and political systems in the region to address the entwined crises of inequality and climate change, calling for the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and the protection of customary land rights.

Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific presents a series of community-driven projects aimed at transforming the region's economic and political systems. The report details successful initiatives in forest management, social economy, food rights, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism, arguing that these local models can be replicated and expanded if supported by national and regional policies.

Friends of the Earth International provides a template letter for organizations to urge embassies to pressure the Brazilian government to investigate the murders of activist Bruno Araújo Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in the Vale do Javari indigenous territory. The document highlights the high risk faced by human rights and territorial defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically citing threats against the Union of Indigenous Organizations of Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA). It calls for the identification of the perpetrators, punishment for those invading indigenous territories, and the guarantee of territorial rights and self-determination for Indigenous peoples in Brazil.

The document is a model letter addressed to Brazilian embassies, calling for an investigation into the 'Masacre Guapoy' and the protection of Guaraní and Kaiowá indigenous territories against agribusiness and mining interests.

The document argues that community-based forest governance (CFG) is essential for halting unprecedented forest destruction, which it attributes to consumerism, unfair distribution of goods, and colonial legacies. It defines CFG as the collective regulations and practices used by communities for the conservation and sustainable use of forests, contrasting this with 'forest science' models that often facilitate devastation. The report identifies key characteristics of successful CFG, including clear boundary definition, traditional resource knowledge, and participatory regulation. It highlights the critical role of women, who often possess distinct knowledge of non-timber forest products and water protection, and emphasizes that their inclusion is vital for holistic governance. Through various case studies, the document illustrates the struggle for land tenure and the impact of industrial pressures, such as palm oil in Indonesia and pulp production in Brazil. It further critiques the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and environmental services markets, arguing that the commodification of nature often privatizes heritage and marginalizes the poor. Finally, it links forest conservation to food sovereignty, public health, and disaster resilience, proposing a shift toward local production and fair timber markets.

The report argues that while state and private ownership still dominate global forests, community forest management (CFM) is a more effective strategy for forest conservation, poverty reduction, and climate mitigation. It identifies a set of key rights—including territorial, consultation, and cultural rights—that underpin successful CFM and maps these against 17 international agreements, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and UNDRIP. The document concludes that while no single agreement mandates the creation of community forests, the collective weight of these international norms provides a strong legal and moral basis for states to devolve forest authority to local communities.