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The document highlights the difficulty of tracking climate finance in Latin America due to fragmented funding channels and inconsistent definitions of key terms. It presents data from the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GFLAC) showing that international public climate finance for eight countries between 2010 and 2015 primarily consists of loans and is skewed toward mitigation over adaptation. The authors call for mutually agreed definitions, clear reporting guidelines, and capacity building within national governments to improve the collection and use of climate finance data for decision-making.

The report examines the impact of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many stoves reduce emissions, they often fail to meet WHO air quality guidelines for personal exposure. It identifies user-centered design, training, and financing as critical for adoption, while highlighting a lack of longitudinal data on sustained use.

The document analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated structural inequalities in Latin America, specifically affecting women's labor participation and health, the vulnerability of indigenous populations regarding food security and healthcare, and the slow integration of green jobs into economic recovery plans. It provides detailed case studies for Mexico, Chile, and Colombia, highlighting gaps in public spending and the need for intersectional policies, improved data collection, and a transition toward a sustainable, low-carbon economy that ensures decent work and social justice.

The technical appendices describe the use of a Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) general equilibrium model to simulate the effects of adopting the MyPlate and Harvard Healthy Eating Plate dietary guidelines. The analysis focuses on the resulting shifts in U.S. crop acreage, specifically the reduction of cereal grain production in favor of fruits, vegetables, and other crops. Key findings include a projected 8% decline in U.S. cereal grain acreage under the Harvard scenario and significant changes in land rental rates and production levels for various food sectors.

The guide argues that freedom of expression alone is insufficient because it often privileges those with the most power and resources. It proposes a broader concept of 'communication rights' based on four pillars: public communication spaces, the free exchange of knowledge, the protection of dignity and security, and the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity. The text highlights how global trends—such as media concentration by corporations, restrictive copyright laws, and state surveillance—undermine these rights, particularly for marginalized groups in the Global South.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) advocates for communication rights—including freedom of expression and access to information—as a fundamental requirement for human rights and sustainable development. WACC addresses 'communication and information poverty' through four main strategies: building grassroots capacity, monitoring media representation, analysing communication trends, and leveraging international networks. The organization focuses on five key areas: digital communication rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, indigenous rights, climate change, and gender equality. A central component of its work is the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), which provides evidence of the systemic under-representation of women in global news media.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) advocates for communication rights—including freedom of expression and access to information—as essential tools for combating social invisibility and achieving the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. WACC focuses on five key areas: digital communication rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, indigenous peoples' communication rights, the intersection of communication and climate change, and gender equality in media. Through capacity building, media monitoring, and global advocacy, WACC seeks to empower marginalized groups to be 'seen and heard' and to reform media structures to be more democratic and inclusive.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) advocates for communication rights—including freedom of expression and access to information—as essential prerequisites for human rights and sustainable development. The organization addresses 'communication and information poverty' through five key programs: digital communication rights, the rights of migrants and refugees, indigenous rights, climate change, and gender equality. WACC employs strategies such as capacity building for local communities, media monitoring (notably through the Global Media Monitoring Project), and international advocacy to challenge discriminatory structures and ensure marginalized voices are seen and heard.

The document outlines the concept of communication rights, distinguishing them from the narrower 'freedom of expression' by emphasizing the need for structural conditions that allow all individuals to be heard. It identifies four pillars of communication rights: the need for public spaces and resources, the free exchange of knowledge, the protection of dignity and security, and the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity. The guide warns that global neoliberal capitalism and the concentration of media ownership threaten these rights, leading to cultural homogenization and the marginalization of poor or minority populations.

The report highlights that companies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) achieve an average internal rate of return (IRR) of 17% on low-carbon investments, with energy efficiency projects specifically yielding 16.7%. It notes that the region's energy demand is 54% met by renewables and that LAC companies generate double the emission savings per dollar invested compared to those in the US. The document encourages the use of 'smart policies' such as cap-and-trade and renewable energy policies to further accelerate decarbonization.

The executive summary argues that strengthening legal forest rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities is a vital tool for mitigating climate change. It finds that forests under strong legal recognition and government protection experience significantly lower deforestation rates than those without such protections. The document emphasizes that legal rights alone are insufficient if governments undermine them through the allocation of resource concessions or failure to prevent illegal encroachments.

The report reviews 129 PES programs across 36 countries to assess how Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPs and LCs) benefit from and are excluded from these mechanisms. While PES can help preserve ecosystems and strengthen land rights, many IPs and LCs face systemic barriers, including lack of formal land tenure and top-down governance. The report argues that direct payments often fail to compensate efforts fairly, with some payments as low as US$0.33 per household annually. It proposes a multi-tiered strategy involving rights recognition, co-creation in program design, and long-term legal reforms to improve financial flows and leadership for IPs and LCs.

The document identifies a significant global trend toward expanding coal-fired power capacity, with 1,199 new plants proposed across 59 countries. China and India are the primary drivers of this expansion, accounting for 76% of proposed new capacities. The analysis also highlights a shift in the global coal trade from Atlantic to Pacific markets, prompting infrastructure expansions in countries like Australia.

The document is the eighth in a series of updates reviewing the readiness documents of countries participating in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the UN-REDD Programme. It specifically evaluates the governance frameworks, transparency, and accountability measures in the R-PPs of the Central African Republic and Colombia, as well as the NPD of Nigeria.

The document examines the vulnerability of coffee cultivation in the Coto Brus region of Costa Rica, where up to 50% of suitable land may be lost by 2050. It identifies a gap between the awareness of sustainable practices and their implementation, particularly among resource-limited smallholders. The report argues that current short-term incremental adjustments are insufficient and advocates for 'transformative adaptation,' which includes diversifying incomes, replanting with resilient varieties, and potentially shifting livelihoods for farmers in areas where coffee is no longer viable.

The policy brief emphasizes that for the rural poor, lack of resource rights and market access are often greater drivers of vulnerability than climate change itself. It advocates for a shift in adaptation funding toward creating an enabling environment through national-level tenure and regulatory reforms, the strengthening of local governance institutions, and the establishment of governance metrics.

The paper finds that securing community forest tenure in Brazil and Guatemala is a low-cost, high-benefit investment where economic benefits outweigh the costs, making it a cost-effective measure for climate-change mitigation compared to other options.

The document details the methodology for mapping global forest restoration opportunities by comparing current forest coverage with potential forest coverage under current climate conditions. It defines four forest conditions—intact, fragmented/managed, degraded, and deforested—and categorizes restoration opportunities based on human pressure and population density. The analysis identifies over two billion hectares of potential restoration area, with mosaic restoration being the most significant opportunity. The methodology also supports the Bonn Challenge, which aims to restore 150 million hectares of land worldwide by 2020.

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 report introduces a quantitative methodology, first developed in 1988, that utilizes a dynamic land-use model to evaluate and compare the carbon sequestration potential of forestry projects. This approach was applied to assess carbon offset projects in Guatemala, Mexico, Nepal, Panama, and Thailand to provide practical guidance for policy-makers and project planners.