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The report argues that the global push to triple renewable energy capacity must prioritize the quality of investments over quantity to avoid 'green extractivism'. It introduces three core criteria for public finance: driving a 100% renewable future by phasing out fossil fuels, ensuring democratic energy systems through grants and decentralization, and centering human rights and nature. The document criticizes multilateral development banks (MDBs) for continuing to fund fossil gas and relying on debt-creating loans rather than grants. Through case studies in India, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Indonesia, it contrasts the harms of large-scale, profit-driven projects with the benefits of community-led, small-scale renewable energy solutions.

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) aims to eliminate deforestation-driven imports of commodities like palm oil, rubber, cocoa, coffee, soy, and cattle. However, the briefing highlights that stringent due diligence requirements—including geolocation and traceability—risk excluding smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia who lack the financial resources, technical capacity, and legal land tenure to comply. The document argues that without targeted support, such as knowledge hubs, financial mechanisms for compliance costs, and improved stakeholder coordination, smallholders may be pushed out of the global value chain. It emphasizes that local context is critical, as many smallholders operate through informal transactions and lack the certifications required by the EU market.

The document positions agroforestry as a critical tool for bioenergy security, noting that traditional biomass is unlikely to be displaced by modern energy sources in the near term in specific rural regions. It emphasizes that integrating biomass production on farms reduces environmental risks and labor drudgery while supporting food security. To achieve sustainable sourcing, the brief advocates for scaling up efficient energy conversion technologies—such as improved cookstoves, briquettes, and biogas infrastructure—and implementing adaptable land tenure systems.

The Rodrigo Bueno neighborhood in Buenos Aires transitioned from an informal settlement facing high climatic risks and eviction threats to a resilient community through a collaborative strategy initiated in 2016. The Buenos Aires Housing Institute utilized a 'Territorial Team' to build trust with residents over eight years, leading to the formal recognition of land ownership in 2017 and the construction of 611 energy-efficient housing units with solar-powered water heating. Climate resilience efforts included canal remediation with a stormwater control system and a retaining wall to mitigate flooding. Additionally, the project fostered economic opportunities, such as the La Vivera Organica plant nursery founded in 2019, which provides local produce and connects the community to the broader city.

The report assesses gender inequalities and diversity challenges in the Amazon Basin, highlighting disparities in land tenure, political representation, and access to water and sanitation. It emphasizes the critical role of indigenous women in biodiversity conservation and the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable populations.

The OvaHerero people of Kaokoland, semi-nomadic pastoralists in Namibia and Angola, developed a Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP) between March 2022 and June 2024. Supported by Natural Justice and International Rivers, the process involved six phases: securing community buy-in, capacity building, research across 34 villages and four museums, iterative community validation, translation into the OtjiHerero language, and official launch. The BCP serves as a tool to safeguard traditional knowledge against threats from climate change and infrastructure development, and to ensure free, prior, and informed consent for external parties engaging in research, tourism, or development on their territories.

The document assesses the integration of gender perspectives within Senegal's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process. It finds that while some sectors, such as fisheries and aquaculture, have successfully integrated gender, others—including health and transport—show weak or nonexistent consideration. The analysis highlights systemic gender inequalities in Senegal, such as unequal land access and limited female participation in strategic decision-making, which exacerbate vulnerability to climate change. It recommends strengthening institutional collaborations, improving gender-disaggregated data, and ensuring more equitable access to climate finance to create a more inclusive adaptation framework.

The paper examines how the 2020 flooding of Lake Naivasha displaced approximately 500 people in the Kihoto informal settlement. It finds that vulnerability is driven less by environmental factors and more by socio-economic marginalization, including precarious employment in horticulture and tourism, lack of secure land tenure, and a deficiency in official disaster response. The study highlights a 'double tragedy' where flooding coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, eroding long-term resilience and crippling local informal savings groups (chamas). Findings indicate that women aged 18-35 suffered the highest rates of unemployment post-disaster. The authors argue for vulnerability reduction through livelihood diversification, investment in basic infrastructure, and inclusive, co-produced risk governance.

The report argues that Indonesia's biomass co-firing program primarily benefits large conglomerates and politically connected elites rather than promoting a just energy transition. It highlights how companies affiliated with groups like Sinarmas, Korindo, and Medco dominate energy plantation forest (HTE) concessions, often through opaque ownership structures or 'shadow companies'. The document details instances of deforestation, land conflicts with indigenous peoples (notably in Papua and NTB), and the persistence of 'carbon debts' resulting from the conversion of natural forests to HTE. Furthermore, it notes that some biomass suppliers are also coal traders, and that the actual biomass used in PLTUs often consists of unregulated sawdust rather than the planned wood pellets, undermining the program's environmental claims.

The report examines the infrastructure funding gap in Canada, specifically within the water sector of the Canadian Prairies, and proposes a shift toward natural infrastructure. It identifies several private financing instruments—including carbon and biodiversity credits, outcome-based financing, natural asset companies, and insurance mechanisms—while emphasizing the need for intermediary organizations to coordinate stakeholders and the importance of Indigenous involvement in the reconciliation process.

The report examines the environmental and health risks associated with ASGM tailings, which often contain mercury and cyanide. It finds that while large-scale mining (LSM) has robust standards, ASGM lacks specific international and regional tailings governance, relying on general mining codes that are often poorly enforced due to sector informality. The document recommends the creation of an international ASM-specific tailings standard, the implementation of strategic environmental assessments (SEAs), and the development of formalization schemes to improve waste management and recover critical minerals from tailings.

Natural Justice critiques the South African government's National Biodiversity Economy Strategy, specifically targeting the establishment of 'Mega Living Conservation Landscapes' and the expansion of the game meat and marine fisheries industries. The organization argues that 'fortress conservation' models lead to human rights violations and forced displacement. It advocates for the adoption of Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and the implementation of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). The document recommends co-management frameworks, secure land tenure, and the removal of harmful subsidies that disadvantage small-scale fishers, aligning national policy with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the African Convention on Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

The document argues that the global transition to renewable energy, specifically wind and solar, frequently results in 'green colonialism' where Indigenous rights to self-determination and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) are ignored. It documents human rights violations and land-grabbing in countries such as Kenya, Norway, Colombia, and Mexico, noting that Indigenous communities often respond through litigation, protest, and efforts to secure project ownership. The authors recommend the formal recognition of Indigenous rights, the strict application of FPIC, the implementation of Indigenous-led environmental impact assessments, and the promotion of Indigenous ownership to ensure a just transition.

The document operationalizes 12 integrity principles for benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSMs) in nature-based solutions (NbS) through four governance pillars: full and effective participation, transparency and accountability, fairness, and effectiveness. It provides a framework for conducting jurisdictional context analysis and offers specific guidance on identifying stakeholders, avoiding elite capture, managing resource flows, and establishing grievance redress mechanisms to ensure that environmental results translate into equitable socioeconomic benefits.

The document operationalizes WWF's integrity principles for benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSM) in nature-based solutions (NbS). It organizes the implementation process into four pillars of good governance: full and effective participation, transparency and accountability, equity, and effectiveness. The guide provides a diagnostic framework for assessing jurisdictional contexts—including governance, economy, and land tenure—and offers specific strategies to mitigate risks such as elite capture, corruption, and negative social impacts. It emphasizes the need for inclusive decision-making processes, accessible grievance redress mechanisms, and the balancing of monetary and non-monetary benefits to ensure a net positive socio-economic outcome for all stakeholders.

The document outlines a four-pillar framework for the 'good governance' of benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSM) in nature-based solutions (NbS). It focuses on ensuring that monetary and non-monetary incentives generated by environmental outcomes are distributed equitably. The guide provides specific operational questions and challenges regarding stakeholder engagement, transparency, social justice, and the effectiveness of resource flows, with a strong emphasis on preventing 'elite capture' and protecting vulnerable groups.

Natural Justice argues that the IRP2023 is a regression from previous plans and lacks a proper legal basis, as it functions as a policy instrument rather than an operational plan. The organization contends that the IRP2023 incorrectly prioritizes energy security over other national policy objectives like affordable access and environmental sustainability. It calls for the adoption of an Energy Justice Framework to address the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly regarding land, water, and gender equality, and recommends the development of a comprehensive Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) as mandated by the National Energy Act.

The report analyzes Brazil's complex legislative framework for forest restoration, concluding that current policies are designed for property-scale rather than landscape-scale implementation. It identifies three essential factors for scaling up: permitting a variety of restoration typologies within a single project, breaking barriers between public and private land tenure, and integrating both mandatory and voluntary restoration areas. The authors argue that the ongoing revision of the National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (PLANAVEG) is a critical opportunity to implement these changes and leverage the carbon market to achieve climate and socioeconomic goals.

The report analyzes Brazil's complex restoration landscape, arguing that current policies are designed for property-scale rather than landscape-scale implementation. It identifies three critical factors for scaling: permitting a variety of restoration typologies within single projects, overcoming land tenure uncertainties on public lands, and integrating mandatory legal obligations with voluntary restoration activities. The authors suggest that the ongoing revision of the National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (PLANAVEG) is a key opportunity to implement these changes.

The report analyzes the challenges of scaling up forest and native vegetation restoration in Brazil, arguing that current public policies are designed for individual rural properties rather than landscape-scale initiatives. It identifies three essential factors for success: the adoption of multiple complementary restoration typologies, the integration of both public and private lands, and the synergy between mandatory legal restoration and voluntary initiatives. The authors highlight the potential of carbon markets and payment for environmental services to drive these efforts, while noting that regulatory contradictions—particularly regarding environmental licensing for native silviculture—remain significant hurdles.