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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated the land sector (AFOLU) plans within the initial INDCs of the US, EU, and Mexico. The analysis finds a stark contrast between developed and developing nations: while the US and EU provide reasonable accounting standards, they lack specific action plans to realize their substantial mitigation potentials. In contrast, Mexico provides a highly transparent and ambitious plan, including a goal of zero deforestation by 2030 and a target for emissions to peak and decline by 2026. The report emphasizes that the land sector is critical for closing the global emissions gap, but current INDCs from developed nations are insufficient in detail to determine if their ambitions match their capacities.

The document defines a net phase out of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as reducing anthropogenic emissions to a level equal to or smaller than anthropogenic removals. To maintain a likely chance of meeting the 2°C target, global GHG emissions must be net zero by 2100, while CO2 emissions specifically should reach net zero around 2070. If action is delayed until 2020, these deadlines accelerate to 2080 for all GHGs and 2065 for CO2. The briefing notes that technological options already exist for approximately 90% of current GHG sources, though the remaining 10% require further innovation or offsetting. It highlights the critical role of bio-energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) for achieving these targets, noting that limiting bio-energy significantly increases mitigation costs and reduces the number of models that find the 2°C target feasible.

The report argues that the AFOLU sector, which accounts for approximately 24% of global warming pollution, offers significant potential to close the emissions gap. By analyzing eight major emitters—the United States, Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the authors find that median mitigation potentials for these countries could cover 76% of the 2020 emissions gap and 44% of the 2030 gap. The report emphasizes a combination of supply-side production efficiencies and demand-side consumption changes, such as reducing beef consumption and food waste, to achieve these reductions.

Between 1920 and 1960, the southern United States experienced a net increase of 6 million hectares of forest cover through a combination of active planting and passive regeneration. This restoration was driven by economic benefits, crisis events like the Great Depression and severe soil erosion, and enabling conditions such as secure property rights and the decline of wood-fired energy. Key implementation tools included the Civilian Conservation Corps and the USDA's Soil Bank Program. However, the trend reversed in the 1970s as suburban expansion became the primary driver of forest conversion, and the region saw a shift toward productive planted forests, such as loblolly and slash pine plantations, which comprised about 20 percent of the total southern U.S. forest area by 2006.

The report finds that AFOLU mitigation potentials for eight major emitters—the United States, Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—could reduce the 2020 emissions gap by approximately three-fourths and the 2030 gap by nearly half. The United States has the highest individual potential at 23 Gt CO2eq, while Indonesia, China, and India also show substantial potentials between 0.75 and 1.75 Gt. These potentials are derived from three primary activities: reducing emissions from deforestation and peatland clearing, decreasing agricultural emissions (such as methane and nitrous oxide), and increasing carbon sequestration through reforestation and ecosystem restoration.

Mike Shinoda describes how Music for Relief has raised over $6 million USD and implemented sustainable energy projects in Haiti, Uganda, and Nepal through the 'Power The World' initiative. He argues that global leaders must move beyond fear-based rhetoric and 'clunky' terminology to earn the trust of a cynical youth population to achieve universal energy access by 2030.

The report identifies diverse strategies used by developing countries to protect tropical forests, ranging from national-scale policies in Brazil and India to community-led projects in Madagascar and Kenya. It highlights the effectiveness of REDD+ programs, payments for ecosystem services (PES), and governance reforms, while noting that success is often linked to broader socioeconomic development and the use of remote sensing technology for enforcement.

The report analyzes diverse strategies used by developing nations to protect tropical forests and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It categorizes successes into those driven by planned policies (e.g., Brazil, India), those that yielded positive results despite deviating from economic theory (e.g., Mexico, Costa Rica), and those resulting from socioeconomic shifts (e.g., Central Africa, El Salvador). Key mechanisms identified include REDD+, payments for ecosystem services (PES), governance reforms, and industry moratoria.

The report examines diverse strategies for reducing tropical deforestation and increasing forest cover across several developing nations. It categorizes successes into those driven by integrated policy frameworks (e.g., Brazil, India), those where outcomes were positive despite deviating from economic theories (e.g., Mexico, Costa Rica), and those influenced heavily by socioeconomic shifts (e.g., Central Africa, El Salvador). Key mechanisms discussed include REDD+, payments for ecosystem services (PES), community-based management, and industry moratoria.

The report examines diverse strategies used by developing tropical nations to combat deforestation and restore forests, categorizing successes into policy-driven reductions, payment for environmental services, and socio-economic shifts. It highlights the 'forest transition' curve and emphasizes that combining environmental action with social and economic development is key to sustainable success.

A coalition of social movements and NGOs argues that the FAO's current forest definition is reductionist and primarily benefits industrial timber, pulp, paper, and rubber companies. The authors contend that by defining forests simply as land with a certain percentage of tree cover, the FAO erroneously classifies large-scale monoculture plantations as 'reforestation' and ignores the structural and cultural importance of forests to the 300 million people who depend on them for their livelihoods. The letter calls for a new, community-led definition process that recognizes the role of forests in food sovereignty and biological diversity.

The document examines the complex 'bundle of rights'—control, management, and use—associated with forest resources in Ghana. It details how the 1992 Constitution establishes trusteeship (fiduciary relationships) where the state or stools manage resources for the benefit of the people. The briefing distinguishes between naturally occurring forests (on-reserve and off-reserve) and planted timber, noting that while natural trees generally follow land ownership, the state often superimposes trusteeship via the 1962 Concessions Act. It also reviews international obligations under the African Charter and ILO conventions, concluding that the legal framework requires clarification to ensure accountability and sustainable, collaborative management.

The document examines the distribution of benefits from forest resources in Ghana, highlighting a disconnect between constitutional mandates and actual practice. While the 1992 Constitution establishes a specific revenue-sharing formula for Stool and Skin lands, the Forestry Commission often retains significant portions of revenue (such as 50% of stumpage fees and contract area rent) without clear legal backing. The briefing also details various benefit-sharing mechanisms for naturally occurring and planted trees, and reviews international instruments like the African Charter and the Convention on Biological Diversity that support community rights to resource benefits.

The report argues that 'sustainable' and 'legal' timber policies in producer and consumer countries are often rudimentary technical responses that fail to address systemic governance flaws, corruption, and human rights violations. In Malaysia, the report highlights a lack of transparency in logging license awards and systemic violations of indigenous customary land rights. In Japan, South Korea, and Australia, the report identifies weaknesses in procurement frameworks, such as a reliance on exporter-provided paperwork and a failure to reduce overall tropical timber consumption. It concludes that without fundamental governance reforms and a reduction in consumption, certification schemes and procurement guidelines remain insufficient to prevent deforestation and social injustice.

The case study examines the implementation of REDD+ within the SADC region, highlighting the tension between global carbon sequestration goals and regional needs for sustainable development. It details the SADC FANR Directorate's efforts to provide a 'regional value add' through a support programme, specifically focusing on a measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) project funded by GIZ. The analysis emphasizes that while carbon is the primary global driver, local and regional benefits—such as hydrological services and non-timber forest products—are often more critical to the region's population. The document concludes that SADC's approach to REDD+ pilots balances carbon effectiveness with regional equity to avoid marginalizing countries with lower forest cover.

The survey found high levels of climate change awareness in the Grasspiece, Brook Lodge, and Poorman’s Corner communities, with respondents identifying flooding and drought as primary evidence. While most believe they can manage these effects, primarily through evacuation, there is a strong consensus that planting trees and adopting agro-forestry can reduce flooding risks.

The authors analyzed sample offset projects across five programs—the Clean Development Mechanism, Climate Action Reserve, Chicago Climate Exchange, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and the U.S. EPA’s former Climate Leaders programme—focusing on landfill methane, manure management, and afforestation/reforestation. They found that variations in accounting boundaries, baseline methods, measurement rules, emission factors, and discounts result in significant differences in credited offsets, sometimes exceeding 50%. The paper argues for the harmonization of these protocols to improve offset quality and facilitate the linking of trading systems.

The report identifies significant climate risks in the Yaque del Sur watershed, where high exposure to hurricanes, floods, and droughts intersects with high poverty and low adaptive capacity. Modelling suggests that by 2050, the annual water deficit could reach 519 million m3, threatening key crops like maize and tomatoes. While the Dominican Republic has established disaster risk and climate change frameworks, the report finds a lack of coordination between these structures and deficiencies in data sharing. Recommended priority actions include shifting to drought-resilient crops (sorghum and mangoes), increasing irrigation efficiency from 20% to 45%, and implementing payment for ecosystem services to promote reforestation in the upper watershed.

The report analyzes the intersection of climate threats and socio-economic vulnerabilities in the Yaque del Sur basin, the Dominican Republic's third-largest basin. It finds that the region faces severe water deficits and high vulnerability due to poverty and dependence on climate-sensitive agriculture. Projected climate trends include rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation, which could lead to an annual water deficit of 390 million m3 by 2050. The document identifies critical gaps in institutional coordination between disaster risk management and climate change adaptation bodies. To mitigate these risks, it recommends seven priority actions, including switching to drought-resistant crops like sorghum and mangoes, increasing irrigation efficiency from 20% to 45%, and implementing payment for ecosystem services to promote reforestation in the upper basin.

The report identifies significant climate risks to human health in Nicaragua, primarily driven by the interaction of extreme weather events—such as floods and droughts—with high social vulnerability, particularly lack of clean water and sanitation. Statistical analysis shows seasonal patterns for diarrhœa, dengue, and leptospirosis linked to rainfall and temperature. While Nicaragua has institutional frameworks for disaster risk and climate change, the report finds a lack of inter-institutional coordination with the health sector and deficiencies in data monitoring. Recommendations include expanding water and sanitation infrastructure, improving health services, and integrating climate risk into national health policies.