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The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is far from meeting its 2030 goals to stop and reverse deforestation and degradation. In 2023, 6.37 million hectares of forest were permanently lost globally, with tropical regions in Africa and Asia failing to meet their targets. Primary forest loss remains alarmingly high, and forest degradation affects an area ten times larger than that of permanent deforestation. The report identifies unsustainable production and consumption—particularly of agricultural commodities, fossil fuels, and minerals—as primary drivers. While some progress is noted in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, and through new EU regulations like the EUDR, the report highlights a massive gap between 'green' and 'grey' financing, with trillions in harmful subsidies continuing to drive ecosystem loss. It emphasizes the critical role of Indigenous peoples and local communities, who face significant violence and limited direct access to funding despite their role as forest guardians.

The 2024 assessment finds that global goals to end deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 remain out of reach, with 6.37 million hectares of forest permanently lost in 2023. While some progress is noted in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, global pressures from unsustainable production—particularly agriculture and mining—persist. The report highlights a critical gap between 'green' and 'grey' financing, noting that environmentally harmful subsidies far outweigh investments in forest protection. It also emphasizes the ongoing struggle for indigenous land rights and the increasing threat of human-induced forest fires. The document recommends a radical shift in consumption patterns, the reallocation of harmful subsidies, and the implementation of rights-based governance to protect global forest ecosystems.

The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with 6.37 million hectares of forest permanently lost in 2023. Deforestation is primarily driven by commodity production, including agriculture and mining, with significant demand from industrialized nations like China, the EU, and the U.S. While some progress has been made in forest law enforcement and the establishment of protected areas, the report highlights a massive gap between 'green' and 'gray' finance, noting that environmentally harmful subsidies reach USD 2.6 trillion annually. The assessment emphasizes the critical need for rights-based governance and direct funding for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ensure sustainable forest management.

This report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Directorate from 1 July 2023 to 13 October 2023. It focuses on the implementation of decisions from the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-31), specifically regarding research programs on climate-health and ocean systems, science diplomacy, and the expansion of institutional associations.

The report identifies a critical policy gap where climate change, food insecurity, and national security are often addressed in silos. It argues that while the U.S. intelligence and military communities recognize these as top security concerns, current interventions remain focused on immediate humanitarian aid rather than long-term community resilience. The document recommends scaling up R&D, synchronizing agricultural emission cuts with food supply needs, and integrating geopolitical risks into strategic military and government planning to prevent global instability and conflict.

The report uses the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY) to categorize Facebook users in 110 countries and territories into six groups: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive. The 'Alarmed' group is the largest in approximately 80 of the surveyed locations, with the highest percentages found in Chile (65%), Mexico (64%), Malawi (63%), Bolivia (62%), and Sri Lanka (61%). Conversely, the United States exhibits a higher proportion of 'Doubtful' and 'Dismissive' respondents (22%) compared to other major carbon emitters and is less 'Alarmed' (34%) than many of its peers. Regional analysis shows South America has the highest proportion of countries with a majority of 'Alarmed' respondents, while Southwest Asia and North Africa show higher levels of doubt or dismissal, particularly in Yemen (34%).

The document highlights the severe social and environmental costs of Caribbean Spiny Lobster fishing in Central America. It details how the demand for live lobsters has driven divers, particularly from the Miskito Indigenous community, to dive deeper and more frequently, leading to widespread decompression sickness, paralysis, and death. The report notes that while Honduras and Nicaragua are the largest producers in Central America, both face challenges with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and the failure to implement bans on dangerous diving practices. It further discusses the 'Miskito standards' established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights following a 2021 ruling against Honduras for failing to oversee private companies in the deep diving industry.

The report identifies Project GAIA as a Category I-1 private sector programme operating across multiple countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. It confirms that an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), which includes frameworks for land acquisition, resettlement, indigenous peoples, and biodiversity management, was disclosed on June 23, 2023, in English and several local languages.

The report analyzes how UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) are increasingly integrating climate change into their oversight of State obligations. In 2022, HRTBs made 95 references to climate change in their pronouncements, reflecting a trend toward treating the climate crisis as an urgent human rights issue. Key focus areas include the obligation of developed states to mitigate emissions, the need to phase out fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups such as children, women, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals under its jurisdiction from climate impacts and provide effective remedies. The report emphasizes the growing role of HRTBs in defining extraterritorial obligations and the duty to regulate private corporate actors contributing to environmental degradation.

The report analyzes the increasing engagement of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) with climate change, noting that in 2022, 52 percent of outputs to States included climate-related recommendations. It highlights a shift toward more specific demands regarding mitigation, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including children, women, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals from climate impacts and provide effective remedy. The document argues for further HRTB guidance on extraterritorial obligations and the regulation of private business actors to prevent climate-induced human rights violations.

The report evaluates grievance mechanisms across various carbon market standards and funds, using UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a benchmark. It finds that most voluntary carbon market (VCM) standards have opaque or insufficient mechanisms, while the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Gold Standard provide more robust models. The authors recommend that the Article 6.4 mechanism prioritize accessibility, transparency through public repositories, independence, and the ability to provide binding remedies, including the power to overturn Supervisory Body decisions.

Latin America possesses significant potential to lead in renewable energy, with over 319 GW of prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity that could increase the region's current capacity by more than 460% by 2030. While Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are accelerating their buildouts and are on track to meet national targets, Mexico's progress has stalled due to policy shifts favoring state-owned fossil fuel entities. The report highlights the role of solar and wind in diversifying energy matrices to reduce reliance on drought-prone hydropower and the emerging economic opportunity of green hydrogen exports.

The report analyzes the global banana industry, highlighting the role of VSSs like Fairtrade and Organic in improving producer prices and resilience. It details the sector's high vulnerability to climate-driven pests and diseases, such as Tropical Race 4, and the economic pressures caused by retail price wars and market concentration. The document argues for a shared responsibility model across the value chain to ensure living wages and sustainable production.

The GCF's direct access modality, primarily operationalized through institutional accreditation, has largely failed to enable a diverse range of national entities to access funding at scale. While the number of Direct Access Entities (DAEs) has grown, the portfolio remains highly concentrated among a few well-resourced financial institutions, with 63% of DAEs having no approved projects. The report finds that the high transaction costs of accreditation and project design favor high-capacity institutions, while support mechanisms like the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP) and Project Preparation Facility (PPF) have not effectively leveled the playing field. Implementation challenges for DAEs are similar to those of International Accredited Entities (IAEs), though DAEs show better adaptability to national governance disruptions. The report recommends diversifying access pathways beyond accreditation, clarifying the strategic vision for direct access, and enhancing implementation support.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the re-accreditation of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for a second term with no conditions. The assessment confirms that IDB continues to meet GCF's basic and specialized fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards, and gender policies. IDB's portfolio includes eight approved GCF projects totaling USD 761.7 million, with a strong track record in mitigation and adaptation, particularly in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The report highlights IDB's commitment to Paris Agreement alignment and its capacity to support direct access entities through capacity-building initiatives.

The 2023 Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor evaluates 24 multinational companies, finding that 15 of them have climate strategies of low or very low integrity. Key issues include ambiguous net-zero pledges, insufficient 2030 targets that fall short of 1.5°C pathways, and a heavy reliance on non-permanent biological carbon offsets. While emission disclosure transparency is moderate, the report highlights a critical '2030 blind spot' where corporate commitments do not match the required global reductions of 43-48% by 2030. The authors advocate for a shift from offsetting to a 'climate contribution' approach and call for tighter regulatory oversight to ensure corporate accountability.

The document argues that the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an underutilized platform for conservationists to drive transparency, participation, and accountability in natural resource governance. It provides three specific templates for creating OGP commitments: beneficial ownership transparency to combat deforestation, openness and integrity in wildlife law enforcement, and participatory governance for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The guide emphasizes that these reforms help prevent 'open washing' by using multi-stakeholder forums and independent reporting to track government progress.

The document argues that conservationists have underutilized the Open Government Partnership (OGP) as a platform for achieving conservation priorities. It provides three specific templates for OGP commitments: beneficial ownership transparency to reduce deforestation, integrity in wildlife law enforcement, and participatory governance for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The guide explains how to identify problems, propose solutions, and define verifiable results within the OGP's multisectoral forum and independent review mechanism.

The report examines climate misinformation surrounding extreme weather in Latin America, focusing on case studies in Brazil, Chile, and Peru. It finds that highly visible, multi-causal, and emotional events are frequently weaponized by political figures to assign blame to scapegoats or promote conspiracy theories, thereby obscuring the scientific drivers of the climate crisis.

The report documents diverse community-led climate adaptation efforts across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, emphasizing the role of ecosystem restoration, circular economies, and gender equality. It highlights that while local actors are innovative and entrepreneurial, they are often hindered by rigid top-down funding requirements, lack of land tenure, and systemic inequalities. The document advocates for a paradigm shift in climate finance toward patient, predictable, and accessible funding that recognizes the holistic needs of vulnerable populations, including their psychosocial well-being and human rights.