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The document critiques biodiversity offsetting as a mechanism of 'regulated destruction' that allows companies to destroy nature in one location by promising to protect or restore it elsewhere. It argues that this approach redefines nature as 'natural capital' or 'ecosystem services,' reducing complex ecological systems to tradable units. The report examines national implementations in India, Uganda, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, highlighting how these schemes often lead to 'double land grabbing,' the displacement of local communities, and the failure to provide long-term protection. It specifically criticizes the World Bank's IFC Performance Standard 6 for enabling the financing of destruction in 'critical habitats.' Furthermore, it analyzes how the aviation and agribusiness sectors use carbon offsets and REDD+ to greenwash their operations while continuing destructive activities.

The report critiques biodiversity offsetting as a mechanism of 'regulated destruction' that replaces strict environmental limits with flexible, market-based compensation. It contends that these systems—including biodiversity banks and carbon credits—often lead to a net increase in environmental damage, facilitate land grabbing from indigenous and local communities, and provide a veneer of sustainability for destructive industries such as mining, agribusiness, and aviation. Through case studies in India, Uganda, Canada, Colombia, Brazil, and Costa Rica, the document demonstrates how the promise of future restoration is used to justify immediate, irreversible ecological loss.

The report argues that the 'financialization of nature'—the process of turning ecological functions into tradeable monetary units—primarily serves corporate interests rather than conservation. It details how companies in extractive industries, aviation, and construction use biodiversity offsets to bypass environmental regulations and greenwash destructive activities. The document also highlights the emergence of a 'new conservation industry' comprising NGOs, think tanks, and financial institutions that promote these market-based approaches. Finally, it contends that private sector investment in conservation is significantly over-hyped, serving as a facade to secure public subsidies and avoid stringent environmental laws.

The document provides the technical annexes for the Forest Declaration Assessment, detailing the definitions and methodologies used to measure deforestation, forest degradation, and restoration potential. It establishes a 'gross zero' deforestation benchmark for 2030, requiring a linear 10 percent annual reduction in loss relative to a 2018-2020 baseline. The methodology incorporates satellite data and econometric models to estimate GHG emissions from forest loss and identifies 'cost-effective' restoration potential based on a carbon price threshold of USD 100/tCO2eq. A provided table lists the 30 countries with the highest absolute levels of deforestation in 2021, showing varied trends such as a 3% increase in Brazil and a 25% decrease in Indonesia compared to the baseline.

The document outlines the conditions for funding proposals considered at the GCF Board's 43rd meeting. It establishes general requirements for all proposals, such as the signing of a funded activity agreement (FAA) and legal due diligence. Additionally, it specifies tailored conditions for certain projects, including requirements for grey-green infrastructure in South Sudan, staff expertise and SEAH protections for a multi-country programme (FP286), and ESIA updates and brine plume modelling for a project in Jordan.

GEEREF NeXt adopts the EIB Group’s Gender Strategy to address the gendered nature of energy poverty in developing countries. The fund focuses on the upstream renewable energy value chain, aiming to avoid aggravating existing inequalities while promoting female entrepreneurship and representation in the energy workforce. It identifies specific risks associated with on-grid projects, such as discriminatory land-use norms and limited female employment, and plans to require Investee Funds to conduct project-specific gender assessments supported by the GEEREF NeXt Technical Assistance Facility.

The ocean and coastal ecosystems are critical for global biodiversity, food security, and carbon sequestration, but they face severe threats from climate change and pollution. Despite an estimated annual funding need of USD 175 billion to USD 459 billion to safeguard the ocean, only USD 11 billion has been invested via philanthropy and Official Development Assistance over the last decade. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) aims to close this gap by creating enabling environments, catalysing innovation, de-risking projects to mobilise private finance, and strengthening national financial institutions through tools like blue bonds and debt swaps. Current GCF initiatives include the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, targeting 17 countries with a USD 500 million project value, and the Blue Action Fund, focusing on coastal resilience in the Western Indian Ocean region.

This report by the Green Economy Coalition reviews the first ten years of the SEED Awards (2005-2015), an initiative founded by UNEP, UNDP, and IUCN to support social and environmental enterprises. It analyzes the survival and impact of 202 SEED Winners across 37 countries, highlighting the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships and tailored support in fostering green and inclusive growth at the grassroots level.

The Economics for Nature (E4N) partnership developed tools, networks, and best practices to embed the value of natural capital into government, business, and financial decision-making. Key achievements include the Green Economy Tracker, the '3-returns' investment framework, and the mainstreaming of natural capital into the EU Green Deal and African Development Bank programmes. The document identifies a divergence between OECD countries and debt-stressed nations in adopting these approaches and outlines four 'frontiers' for future progress: centering people and Indigenous knowledge, standardizing valuation frameworks, implementing systemic economic reform, and scaling nature-based solutions.

The report examines the escalation of extremist activity in southern Africa, highlighting the dual threats of far-right militancy and Islamist insurgency. It details the specific security challenges in South Africa, including the activities of the National Christian Resistance Movement and IS-linked cells, and provides an in-depth analysis of the insurgency in northern Mozambique. The author argues that the Mozambican conflict is fueled by transnational criminal networks, including human smuggling and the heroin trade, and criticizes the slow, bureaucratic responses of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU). The document concludes with recommendations for integrated national strategies, improved inter-agency collaboration, and a shift toward preventative governance to address the root causes of extremism.

The policy brief by the Global Resilience Partnership advocates for a systemic shift in how capital markets account for resilience-related risks. It argues that current policy frameworks and market incentives are inadequate, leaving assets exposed to increasing global shocks. The document proposes a new definition of resilience based on five attributes: diversity, redundancy, connectivity, inclusivity and equity, and adaptive learning. It emphasizes that investing in resilience, particularly in the Global South, is a risk mitigation strategy that can provide high economic returns, with benefit-cost ratios for climate adaptation ranging from 2:1 to 10:1.

The document examines the deployment of container-based sanitation (CBS) in Cape Town, where the number of informal households is projected to reach almost 900,000 by 2040. It details the current use of portable flush toilets (PFTs) and shared container toilets, noting that while communities generally accept these as alternatives to full-flush systems, there are significant needs for improved durability and more reliable servicing. The brief also explores the potential for a circular economy by beneficiating excreta into products like fertilizers or fuel, highlighting regulatory shifts such as the 2019 liquid waste landfill ban and new organic waste treatment standards that may reduce barriers for local providers.

The briefing examines the tensions between WTO members over agricultural subsidies, public stocks, and export restrictions. It argues that for MC13 to be successful, the WTO must move beyond non-binding declarations toward binding commitments, specifically proposing an export restriction exemption for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to ensure food availability during crises.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides free advisory and capacity development services to low-income governments and regional bodies to promote responsible private sector investment in agriculture. IISD focuses on creating legal frameworks that balance the benefits of foreign capital and technology with the protection of food security, land tenure rights, and natural resources. Their expertise includes developing model contracts for farmland investments, regional investment guidelines, contract farming templates, and policies for agricultural growth poles and zones.

The project aims to reduce community vulnerability to climate change and improve livelihoods by mainstreaming adaptation into national policies and development plans. In Mozambique, the focus is on community-based forest fire management and early warning systems. In Kenya, the project implements drought-resistant crops and improved agricultural techniques. In Rwanda, the effort centers on increasing the resilience of the hydropower sector through natural resource management and energy planning. Regional knowledge sharing involves pilot countries and observer nations Tanzania and Madagascar.

Madagascar has implemented a national organic agriculture strategy and Law No. 2020-003 to transition traditional farming into a certified organic sector. Supported by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the government is piloting 'Organic Agricultural Territories' (TVAB) in the Diana, Sava, and Analanjirofo regions to achieve economies of scale and ensure product integrity for export. Between 2020 and 2024, organic farming area grew by over 60%, increasing from 103,817 to 169,893 hectares, while the number of organic producers rose to 62,000.

The research project examined SD strategies in 19 countries and the European Union, concluding that while innovations exist in strategy types and participation, no country has achieved a truly strategic approach due to fragmented management cycles and weak feedback processes. Key findings highlight that SD strategies often remain peripheral to national budgeting and struggle with 'the administrative trap' of vertical government structures. The document identifies four main strategy types: comprehensive and multi-dimensional, cross-sectoral, sectoral, and integration into existing planning. Specific innovations are noted, such as Sweden's environmental tax shifting and Switzerland's constitutional elevation of sustainable development to a national goal.

The briefing examines the Mo Ibrahim Prize, an award for African leaders who meet strict democratic and constitutional criteria. It discusses the surprise decision by the Prize Committee to not select a winner in a given year, despite several leaders having recently left office. The author explores whether the prize effectively incentivizes good governance and suggests that the lack of a winner may reflect a receding democracy or the systemic challenges leaders face. The document concludes by suggesting the prize expand its scope to include civil society and individuals to better support democratic entrenchment.

On 7 November, Malagasy political actors agreed to a collegial leadership structure for the transition government, where President Andy Rajoelina shares executive power with two co-presidents from the camps of former Presidents Marc Ravalomanana and Albert Zafy. The agreement requires all three leaders to approve and sign major decisions. The author expresses skepticism about the stability of this 'triumvirate' model, citing a failed historical precedent in Benin and ongoing tensions over strategic ministerial portfolios such as Defense, Finance, and Foreign Affairs. The briefing notes that SADC pressure and the need for credible elections by the end of 2010 are central to the process, while the long-term stability of Madagascar depends on the shifting power dynamics between Rajoelina and Ravalomanana.

The document details a seminar on the African Union's (AU) response to unconstitutional changes of government, specifically military coups. It evaluates the Lomé Declaration and the AU's consistency in applying sanctions, while proposing reforms to address poor governance and presidential term limits to prevent future instability.