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The document asserts that corporate net-zero targets are fundamentally dependent on the continued function of natural carbon sinks, which are currently declining. It argues that value-chain decarbonization alone is insufficient because significant nature-related emissions occur in informal sectors and many companies lack science-based targets. To address a projected $4.1 trillion finance gap for nature, the briefing proposes that if 1,700 of the world's highest emitters compensated for 10% of their annual emissions through nature-based solutions, they could mobilize 30 Gt of climate solutions by 2030, representing over 10% of the remaining 1.5°C carbon budget.

The We Mean Business Coalition presents a series of policy asks across key sectors—including energy, transport, industry, and the built environment—to align global economies with a 1.5°C trajectory. The document highlights existing corporate commitments, such as the 900+ companies aligning with 1.5°C targets, and calls for government action on carbon pricing, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and the implementation of just transition plans. It emphasizes that a green recovery from COVID-19 can boost GDP and employment while addressing the climate and biodiversity crises.

The document outlines a comprehensive leadership framework for companies to address the climate crisis. It emphasizes setting science-based net-zero targets aligned with a 1.5°C pathway, integrating climate goals into core business strategies, advocating for bold public policy, and maintaining transparent disclosure of progress and governance.

The Land Emissions and Removals Navigator (LEARN) is a free, interactive web tool designed to help U.S. cities, counties, and municipalities analyze the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of forests and trees at a community scale. Developed by the World Resources Institute, ICLEI, and partners, the tool provides automated spatial analysis to support data-driven planning and monitoring of nature-based solutions. It utilizes national datasets from the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to estimate carbon emissions and removals resulting from land cover change, forest disturbances, and changes to tree canopy on non-forest lands. The tool is intended to complement ICLEI's U.S. Community Protocol’s Appendix J: Forests and Trees to assist local leaders in aligning their actions with state and national mitigation targets.

The document discusses the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in corporate efforts to offset fossil fuel emissions and the necessity of NBS financing for the transition to net-zero. It highlights the need for companies to prioritize their own emission abatements and demand high-quality credits to ensure the integrity of NBS offsets while policy rules remain under debate.

The analysis finds that green investments generally create more jobs per US$1 million than unsustainable investments, with ecosystem restoration and building efficiency showing the highest relative gains. However, the paper notes that job quality varies, with informality being a challenge in developing countries and lower wages/benefits compared to unionized traditional sectors in developed countries.

The document argues that green economic recovery packages can simultaneously address the climate crisis and food insecurity by investing in nature-based solutions and sustainable agriculture. It highlights the role of natural capital spending, payment for ecosystem services, and remote monitoring technology in protecting forests. Furthermore, it emphasizes that securing indigenous land rights is a critical strategy for supporting vulnerable populations and slowing forest loss.

The paper argues that while women are central to agriculture and climate adaptation in Africa, they are often excluded from decision-making and resources due to sociocultural norms and policy gaps. It proposes seven enabling factors—ranging from flexible finance and resource control to confronting restrictive norms—to move beyond simple participation toward gender-transformative locally led adaptation (LLA). The authors recommend that funders provide patient, flexible funding of at least five years and invest in long-term relationships with women-led organizations to foster structural social change and climate resilience.

The document outlines a methodology for tracking nature-based solutions (NBS) investments in sub-Saharan Africa by scanning multilateral development bank portfolios. Between 2012 and 2021, the World Bank and African Development Bank led 85 NBS-related projects with combined total budgets of $12.1 billion, of which $4.5 billion was specifically for NBS components. The research identifies Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the countries with the highest project counts and notes that NBS are being used to address urban flooding, coastal flooding, and water security while providing co-benefits for biodiversity and carbon sequestration.

The analysis finds that pursuing a net zero emissions pathway by 2050 in Ethiopia would increase the average real annual GDP growth rate by 1.4 percent relative to a business-as-usual scenario. While the NZE pathway requires an additional US$66.98 billion in cumulative investment costs by 2050, it is projected to generate $111 billion in cumulative co-benefits through increased real GDP and avoid $89 billion in costs, primarily in energy. Social co-benefits include an average of 672,000 additional green jobs and significant increases in disposable incomes (10.5 percent by 2030 and 53.1 percent by 2050). The benefit-cost ratio for investments in mitigation and adaptation is estimated to rise from 1.04 in 2030 to 2.99 by 2050.

The paper analyzes the evolution of adaptation components in the NDCs of 86 countries, finding that while updated submissions show increased country ownership, better alignment with national adaptation plans, and more detailed sectoral actions, most prioritized actions remain neither investment nor implementation ready.

The paper analyzes three case studies—water scarcity in Bhutan, landscape degradation in Ethiopia, and agricultural shifts in Costa Rica—to highlight the need for technical and financial support in transformative adaptation. It identifies community-led planning and change agents as drivers of success, while noting that a lack of systems data and M&E infrastructure limits scalability. Specific recommendations include investing in automated monitoring, integrating local knowledge, and providing targeted credit for farmers transitioning to new livelihoods.

The document argues that public economic incentives are essential to scale up land restoration in Latin America, as the up-front costs are otherwise prohibitive for smallholder farmers and the rural poor. It highlights that land degradation costs the region approximately US $52 billion annually, while restoring a single hectare can add $1,140 in economic value. The brief analyzes programs in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru, calculating payments per tree or hectare to help policymakers optimize these incentives for carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and food security.

The document argues that multi-stakeholder NBS initiatives, which have already achieved mitigation and sustainability outcomes, are well-positioned to expand their impact by integrating climate adaptation. It highlights that NBS can be more effective and cost-efficient than business-as-usual interventions, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized groups. The paper identifies opportunities for scaling adaptation through better coordination, sharing tools from adaptation-focused organizations, investing in pilots, and leveraging political momentum. However, it notes that these initiatives are hindered by barriers such as limited technical expertise on adaptation and insufficient funding.

The World Resources Institute's guidebook introduces the ARK and SPARK frameworks to help businesses move from nature-related commitments to tangible action. Based on input from 41 corporate actors, the guide outlines a five-step process for identifying nature-related risks and opportunities, prioritizing actions, securing internal support, refining operational mechanisms, and evaluating outcomes. It also identifies key internal enablers, such as leadership commitment and governance structures, and external drivers, including regulatory pressure and investor demand, while addressing barriers like financing constraints and the difficulty of articulating a clear business case for nature investments.

The paper introduces the Triple Dividend of Resilience (TDR) framework, which categorizes adaptation benefits into avoided losses (first dividend), induced economic/development benefits (second dividend), and social/environmental benefits (third dividend). It finds that the second and third dividends often exceed the value of avoided losses and can result in benefit-cost ratios greater than 1 independently of whether a disaster occurs. The author argues that fully quantifying these dividends can help mobilize public and private finance and suggests five strategies to standardize TDR analysis, including growing the evidence base and improving data collection.

The report argues that Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) must move beyond a narrow focus on market-valued provisioning services to a systematic approach that accounts for multiple ecosystem services in all development operations. It highlights that two-thirds of 24 audited global ecosystem services have been degraded, undermining development. The document proposes integrating ecosystem services into strategic direction setting, advisory services, and investments to better manage risks and opportunities related to climate and environment.

The report finds that public international funding for nature-based solutions for adaptation (NbSA) is relatively small, totaling US$3.88.7 billion in 2018. This amount represents only 0.61.4 percent of total climate finance flows. Funding is dominated by grants and a small number of bilateral donors, with Sub-Saharan Africa and South and Central Asia receiving about 50 percent of the total. Key barriers to scaling NbSA include the lack of common definitions, a dearth of metrics to value benefits, and a misalignment between donor funding instruments and the long-term operational costs of projects. The authors recommend scaling and better tracking ODA, aligning funding with project needs, developing standardized valuation metrics, and supporting the development of project pipelines in developing countries.

The document argues that Ethiopia's efforts to combat land degradation and water insecurity are hindered by inadequate financing and unsustainable interventions. It proposes shifting toward nature-based solutions (NBS) funded by diversified sources, including public, philanthropic, and private capital. The paper specifically examines water funds, payments for ecosystem services, and debt-for-nature swaps as promising mechanisms to attract domestic and international investment and ensure long-term sustainability of watershed management.

The document argues that the success of nature-based solutions (NbS) depends on the inclusion of women, yet gender dynamics are often overlooked in favor of biophysical or technical analysis. It examines four specific NbS approaches—natural climate solutions, forest landscape restoration, ecosystem-based adaptation, and payments for ecosystem services—and uses case studies of PES projects to provide recommendations for increasing rural women's agency in climate-resilient agroecosystems.