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This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of cobalt as a critical mineral for the clean energy transition, detailing its applications in lithium-ion batteries, global distribution of reserves and production, and the significant human rights and environmental impacts associated with its extraction, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This report provides a framework of priority actions for companies across the mining and mineral value chain to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation by 2030. It categorizes the sector into upstream, midstream, and downstream companies, offering specific guidance on nature-positive practices, traceability, and the protection of Indigenous rights to mitigate operational and reputational risks.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the capacity of various forest types to withstand and recover from wildfires, noting that while some ecosystems are fire-adapted, increasing fire frequency and intensity driven by climate change are undermining this resilience. The document details the drivers of vulnerability, the environmental and economic impacts of recent record-breaking fires, and strategies for strengthening forest resilience through protection, restoration, and the support of Indigenous land rights.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines two primary policy responses to climate change in Africa: carbon sequestration through forest regeneration and the implementation of a global carbon tax. It highlights the critical role of the Congo Basin as a carbon sink and analyzes four illustrative global carbon tax scenarios, concluding that a differentiated payment approach aligns best with international equity principles and the Paris Agreement.

A report by Zero Carbon Analytics (ZCA) detailing how deforestation in the Congo Basin disrupts a climate teleconnection that provides critical rainfall to West Africa, specifically threatening the global cocoa supply chain and increasing costs for European importers.

The 'Transforming forest finance' special report by the Forest Declaration Assessment outlines five priority actions to align the global financial system with forest and sustainable development goals by 2030. It argues that simply increasing funds is insufficient; systemic transformations are required to address the socio-economic and political drivers of deforestation, including the reform of multilateral finance, sovereign debt, harmful subsidies, and financial regulatory frameworks.

Friends of the Earth U.S. analyzes the Biden-Harris administration's 6-point policy framework aimed at reducing U.S. imports of products linked to deforestation. While commending the framework's direction, the organization advocates for a holistic approach to illegal deforestation, the establishment of a public due diligence system independent of third-party certifications, and the passage of the federal FOREST Act.

The Stakeholder Toolkit, updated in March 2023 by the Forest Declaration Assessment, provides a curated directory of resources, reports, and organizations designed to assist national and local governments in improving forest governance and sustainability.

The Stakeholder Toolkit (March 2023) is a guide providing a curated list of resources, reports, and organizations designed to support national and local governments in improving forest governance, sustainability, and the protection of tropical forests.

The World Resources Institute's (WRI) 2023-2027 Strategic Plan outlines a transition from a period of global commitments to one of tangible impact on the ground. The strategy centers on three interconnected global goals—improving human well-being, protecting nature, and tackling climate change—and targets systemic change across three 'Human-Centered Systems' (Food, Land and Water; Energy; and Cities) supported by three 'Enabling Systems' (Economics, Finance, and Governance). WRI aims to operate as a centrally coordinated global network with a specific focus on 12 priority countries to drive just transitions.

This document is an annex to the 2022 Regional Assessment by the Forest Declaration Assessment, focusing on tracking progress toward forest goals in the Congo Basin. It details a monitoring framework consisting of 50 indicators across four themes—forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest financing, and forest governance—and provides a comparative summary of the laws, governing entities, and policies used to address deforestation in Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo.

This document is a regional annex to the 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment, focusing on the Congo Basin. It details a comprehensive evaluation framework consisting of 50 indicators across four themes—forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest finance, and forest governance—designed to monitor progress in forest legality and governance based on Chatham House methodology.

The 2022 Regional Assessment by the Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates progress toward ending deforestation and land degradation by 2030 in the Congo Basin. While the region has historically low deforestation rates and serves as the tropics' largest net carbon sink, 2021 saw a jump in forest loss. The report highlights a gap between high-level political commitments and concrete implementation, noting that only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently on track to meet the required annual reduction in forest cover loss.

This executive summary from the 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates progress toward ending deforestation in the Congo Basin. It highlights a concerning increase in forest loss in 2021, the critical role of the region as a global carbon sink, and the systemic governance and financial gaps that hinder the achievement of 2030 targets.

Infrastructure and extractive industries act as catalysts for deforestation by opening access to intact forests. Despite representing a smaller share of direct forest loss than agriculture, their indirect impacts are vast, driven by massive planned investments in roads and economic corridors. While some high-level policy alignments and financial safeguards have emerged, the document argues that a fundamental realignment of economic incentives and stronger enforcement of IPLC rights and environmental regulations are required to achieve forest protection goals.

This fact sheet, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2022, distils findings from the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report regarding climate change impacts, future risks, and adaptation strategies specifically for Central Africa.

This briefing paper by the Forest Declaration Assessment examines how the global transition to low-carbon technologies increases the demand for minerals, thereby posing a significant threat to forest ecosystems, particularly Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) in the Amazon and Congo Basin.

This technical annex assesses progress toward Goal 1 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aims to halve natural forest loss globally by 2020 and end it by 2030. The report finds that the world is not on track to meet these targets, as average annual global gross tree cover loss and carbon emissions from tropical forests increased between 2014 and 2018 compared to historical baselines, despite a decline in loss observed in 2018.

This executive summary evaluates the progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) five years after its 2014 inception. It concludes that achieving the 2020 targets is nearly impossible, as tropical deforestation continues at unsustainable rates and restoration efforts are too slow and often occur outside natural forests. While some governments and companies have taken action, these efforts are described as isolated and insufficient to catalyze systemic change.

This executive summary evaluates progress five years after the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), concluding that the goals to halve tropical deforestation by 2020 and end it by 2030 are unlikely to be met. The report highlights an acceleration in the loss of primary forests, inadequate restoration progress, and a significant gap between 'grey' finance for agriculture and 'green' finance for forest conservation.