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The report examines the 'blue corridors' of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Bering Strait to the Antarctic Peninsula, highlighting how these migratory routes are essential for whale survival and ocean health. It details cumulative threats including ship strikes, fisheries bycatch, ghost gear, underwater noise, and climate change. The document advocates for the implementation of connected networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to meet the global 30x30 target, while proposing specific regional initiatives like the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) and the Global Oceans Treaty (BBNJ) to protect whales in international waters.

The document argues that current global food production is pushing the planet beyond its natural limits, contributing significantly to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. WWF proposes a 'nature-positive approach' centered on four strategic pillars: conservation of critical landscapes, regenerative and resilient systems, thriving people and communities, and innovation and influence. Key targets for 2030 include achieving zero deforestation from agricultural expansion and halving the environmental footprint of food systems by scaling circular and regenerative practices.

The 'Todos al Parque' program in Barranquilla, Colombia, has transformed 258 public spaces since 2011, focusing on the city's most deprived neighborhoods through a co-design process with residents. By increasing green space from 0.86m² to a level where 93% of households are within an 8-minute walk of a park, the initiative has reduced crime, improved public health, and increased tax compliance. The program's success led to the creation of a regional network of 'biodivercities' involving eight Latin American cities and inspired a similar state-level program in the Atlántico Department.

The IAI provides financial support between $100,000 and $300,000 USD for research projects lasting up to 3 years, targeting teams from 14 specific Latin American and Caribbean countries. Funding is contingent on co-funding and alignment with IAI's strategic policies, including a mandatory equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) plan.

The Government of Nicaragua is seeking a USD 733,082 grant to overcome fiscal constraints and institutional gaps that hinder the implementation of its low-carbon development goals. The proposal identifies two primary barriers: limited government capacity to integrate climate considerations into financial planning and the inability of local financial institutions to apply environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. To address these, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) will implement four workstreams: developing a National Climate Finance Roadmap, preparing for sovereign Green, Social, and Sustainability (GSS) bond issuances, creating a debt-for-climate swap strategy, and 'greening' the domestic banking sector. The project aims to diversify funding sources beyond decreasing Official Development Assistance (ODA) and high-cost debt, targeting a 24-month implementation period.

The report argues that 'net zero' targets are a 'smokescreen' allowing corporations to maintain fossil-fuel-based business models through carbon offsetting and 'nature-based solutions'. It contends that these mechanisms lead to land grabbing, the dispossession of Indigenous and peasant communities, and the co-option of agroecology. The document specifically highlights the risks of soil carbon farming as a means for agribusiness and IT companies to harvest farm data and exert control over land use. It concludes that real climate justice requires a transition to food sovereignty and a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels rather than reliance on unverifiable carbon credits.

The document identifies critical gaps in the support system for Local Green Entrepreneurs (LGEs) in South Africa, specifically highlighting that while SMMEs contribute to carbon reduction, they face significant 'green funding gaps'. It argues that current policies, such as the Draft SMME and Cooperative Funding Policy, fail to explicitly recognize LGEs. The brief identifies five 'signature issues', including the limited risk appetite of funders and compliance-driven ESG requirements. To address these, it recommends the development of a Green Economy Framework, the use of credit guarantee schemes like the sefa Innovation Fund, and the reduction of bureaucratic 'red tape' in certification processes to foster a more inclusive green recovery.

The report examines the global cocoa market, highlighting the tension between growing demand and climate-related supply risks. It analyzes how VSSs like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance attempt to improve sustainability and farmer incomes, while noting that power imbalances and low farm-gate prices continue to drive poverty among the 5 to 6 million cocoa farmers worldwide.

The report assesses the water balance of the Madidi National Park (PNM) in Bolivia, focusing on the Tuichi, Hondo, Madidi, and Quendeque basins. Using the WEAP model and data from 1980 to 2015, it finds that forests and wetlands have significantly higher soil moisture retention (66%) compared to agricultural lands and prairies (under 59%). The study highlights that converting forests to prairies or agriculture reduces soil moisture retention by 6.6% to 7.6%, with the greatest impact occurring in May. Annual average precipitation for the basin is 1778 mm, with a runoff coefficient of 0.32. The report recommends establishing new monitoring points within the park and prioritizing water quality analysis in the Tuichi basin due to mining risks.

The report argues that current climate finance is woefully inadequate to meet Paris Agreement goals, with developing countries alone requiring $4.3 trillion for 2030 commitments. It outlines a three-stage framework—planning, implementation, and monitoring—and details a variety of fiscal and policy instruments to align public spending, increase public funding, and mobilize private capital.

The Amazon biome is facing a critical situation due to deforestation, degradation, and climate change, which threaten its role in global climate regulation and its immense biodiversity. Key drivers include cattle ranching, mechanized agriculture, illegal logging, and unsustainable infrastructure projects like dams. The report emphasizes the vital role of indigenous territories and protected areas in maintaining resilience and proposes an integrated landscape management approach, the protection of free-flowing rivers, and the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy to avoid an ecological tipping point.

The statement highlights the high risks faced by environmental defenders in Latin America, noting that 200 deaths were recorded in 2020 alone. It criticizes the lack of effective protection provided by the Escazu Agreement and the 30x30 conservation project, emphasizing that indigenous people and women are disproportionately targeted. The text calls for UN and US government intervention to protect these activists.

The document argues that integrating National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) reduces duplication and optimizes limited resources. It highlights that biodiversity protection increases ecosystem resilience, aiding human adaptation to climate change, and cites Eswatini, Fiji, Peru, and Rwanda as examples of countries that have successfully linked these strategies to enhance social and ecosystem resilience.

This briefing outlines the progress of the Regional Assessment conducted by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The assessment aims to identify knowledge gaps and uncertainties in decisions impacted by global environmental change (GEC) to better target science and capacity-building efforts for Member Countries.

The IAI is conducting a Regional Assessment to better understand how global environmental change (GEC) affects the decisions of its member Parties. Through surveys and subregional listening sessions held in 2022, the IAI identified 'climate action' as the most important current national priority for 14 Parties. Key barriers to using scientific information include a lack of intersectoral collaboration and a lack of science available for non-technical audiences. The assessment has grouped member countries by shared priorities and identified specific regional focuses, such as water security in the Southern Cone and biodiversity in the Andean subregion. Next steps include a deep analysis of collected data and a review of national policy documents, with results to be communicated at CoP-31.

As of September 30, 2022, the IAI had received 38% of its approved contributions for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Total expenditures for the July-September period were $314,865, which is 10% lower than the budgeted $350,000. While salaries remained within budget, travel and training costs exceeded projections by 12.4% due to high ticket prices. Other categories, including equipment, operational costs, and dissemination, were under budget due to postponed purchases and improved resource management.

This report, prepared by the IAI Directorate for the Executive Council's fifty-fourth meeting, outlines the primary achievements and activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research from 1 July 2022 to 11 October 2022. It details progress in science communication, capacity building, and strategic partnerships aimed at addressing global environmental change in the Americas.

The IAI Executive Directorate reports progress on science and capacity building between July and October 2022. Key activities include the 'Climate and Health Responder Course for Latin America', the publication of a compendium on climate impacts in LAC, and the expansion of the STeP fellowship program to 45 fellows across 8 countries. The IAI also coordinated participation in the UNGA77 Science Summit and the SRI2022 congress, while establishing a Steering Committee for a Center for Science Diplomacy.

The report evaluates the voluntary carbon offsetting practices of eight major European airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, and Lufthansa. It finds that while some airlines like easyJet have high volumes of offsets, the overall quality of credits is often low due to a reliance on cheap forestry projects in developing countries. The study highlights a significant lack of transparency in reporting and warns that promoting 'carbon neutral' flying may encourage air traffic growth, contradicting the need for sector decarbonization through sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that no global indicator is currently on track to meet the 2030 goals of stopping forest loss and restoring 350 million hectares of landscape. While Tropical Asia is the only region on track to halt deforestation, global rates declined only modestly by 6.3% in 2021 compared to the 2018-20 baseline. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that annual mitigation finance for forests is less than 1% of the estimated USD 460 billion needed. It further identifies failures in the private sector to eliminate deforestation from agricultural supply chains by 2025 and notes that 50% of lands held by Indigenous Peoples and local communities remain legally unrecognized.