Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines food waste in Jayapura and Merauke, Indonesia, finding that households are the primary waste generators and that significant portions of discarded food remain edible. It highlights a 'missing middle' financing gap for infrastructure investments (USD 1-3 million) and proposes a three-phase roadmap: starting with prevention and reduction, moving to community-scale recycling (composting and Black Soldier Fly larvae), and finally investing in centralized waste management facilities.

The report identifies significant gaps in the criminal justice response to tiger trafficking in Southeast Asia, noting that while arrests are frequent in some countries, they rarely lead to convictions. Indonesia is highlighted as a model for transparency due to its publicly accessible sentencing records, which reveal that successful prosecutions rely on interagency coordination and forensic evidence. However, the report finds that most prosecuted individuals are low-to-mid-level actors, while high-level organisers remain elusive. The authors recommend increasing judicial transparency, diversifying legal strategies to include anti-money laundering and organised crime statutes, and implementing restorative justice mechanisms to repair ecological harm.

The 'Greenprints for the Future Student Project Plan' is a guide for educators and students in grades 6-12 to learn about biodiversity and sustainability. It outlines a four-step process—Learn, Connect, Investigate, and Act—to move from theoretical knowledge of ecosystem services to the creation of a practical, sustainable action plan addressing a local environmental problem. The final 'ACT' step is a requirement for students seeking a funding opportunity, which evaluates projects based on their alignment with program objectives, originality, and potential for lasting impact.

The report documents a prolific trade in live primates on US social media, identifying over 1,600 animals for sale across 12 taxa. It highlights the use of euphemisms like 'adoption' to bypass platform filters, the risks of zoonotic disease transmission, and the ecological threat of invasive species in states like Florida. The authors argue that a patchwork of inconsistent state laws and a lack of federal oversight enable this trade, and they recommend the passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act and the Wildlife Confiscations Network Act to improve regulation and animal placement.

The document outlines the drivers and challenges of traceability in global commodity supply chains, advocating for 'material-forward tracking' over 'product-backward tracing'. It details the technical elements of effective traceability, including event-based tracking, data standards (such as GS1 EPCIS), and the distinction between serialized and lot-based methods. The guide also evaluates supporting tools like geospatial analysis, certification systems, and scientific testing to combat fraud. Finally, it provides a 12-step implementation road map for downstream companies to build traceability capabilities, from securing leadership support to fostering industry-wide collaboration.

The document outlines a structured approach to move from human-tiger conflict to coexistence, utilizing the C2C (Conflict to Coexistence) methodology. It defines conflict and coexistence as dynamic spectrums influenced by risk, tolerance, and management effectiveness. The report details four key outcomes for monitoring—People, Livelihoods & Assets, Wildlife, and Habitat—and proposes a collaborative decision-making process using the nominal group technique to prioritize interventions. It summarizes 29 interventions, ranging from preventative measures like livestock enclosures and predator alert systems to response strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy, and evaluates their effectiveness based on robust evidence. Additionally, it presents nine monitoring tools and a theoretical framework for policy advocacy to support long-term sustainable management of tiger landscapes.

The 2026 Progress Report details WWF's conservation efforts in 2025, focusing on the recovery of African elephants, mountain gorillas, snow leopards, bison, and sharks and rays. Key achievements include a consumer awareness campaign against ivory in Viet Nam, the establishment of a transboundary conservation area for snow leopards in Asia, and the restoration of bison herds in North America. The report emphasizes the use of scientific research, such as population censuses and GPS telemetry, to guide habitat management and policy across multiple continents.

The review finds that neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs) often fail to provide statistically significant increases in yield or profitability for North American farmers, particularly in colder regions like the Midwest and Northern U.S. where early-season pest pressure is lower. While some positive returns on investment (ROI) were observed in the U.S. South due to milder winters and higher pest pressure, these results were inconsistent year-to-year. The document highlights significant ecological harms, including the reduction of predator insect populations, damage to pollinators, and disruption of soil decomposition. It argues that a shift from prophylactic use to an 'assess-and-decide' approach based on actual pest pressure would save farmers money without reducing yields.

The document examines conservation efforts in the Santa Fe and Alto Acre communities of Pando, Bolivia, highlighting the role of Brazil nut harvesting and diversified livelihoods in protecting the Amazon rainforest.

The document examines conservation efforts in the Bolivian Chaco, focusing on private livestock properties (Las Malvinas and Atajado Ancasoro) and the Reciprocal Water Agreement (ARA) in the Guaraní community of San Antonio del Parapetí. It highlights the tension between traditional sustainable livestock practices and the expansion of industrial agro-industry, while demonstrating how community-led agreements can protect critical water recharge areas through non-monetary incentives. The study emphasizes the need for legal recognition of these local efforts to ensure land tenure security and long-term environmental sustainability.

The TCO Monte Verde, a territory of the Chiquitano Indigenous People in Bolivia, maintains 98% forest cover through a combination of indigenous governance and formal forest management plans. Despite facing severe pressures from agricultural expansion, land grabbing, and massive forest fires in 2024, the territory serves as a critical barrier to deforestation in the Chiquitanía region. Conservation is driven by cultural identity, the need for water security, and the goal of preserving resources for future generations. While sustainable logging provides primary income, the community is exploring non-timber forest products and carbon markets to diversify their economy and further protect the forest.

The document examines the synergy between agroextractive settlements (PAEs) and community fishing agreements in the Lower Amazon, specifically focusing on PAE Lago Grande and APes Curuai. It highlights how these hybrid governance structures support biodiversity and traditional livelihoods but are threatened by land tenure insecurity, illegal mining, and insufficient state monitoring. The report argues that recognizing such areas as Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM/OMEC) could strengthen territorial defense and inclusive conservation.

The document examines how traditional communities in western Bahia, such as the Fecho de Pasto Clemente and Beira Rio, maintain the Cerrado biome through sustainable practices like extensive cattle grazing. It highlights the severe threats posed by industrial agribusiness, including land grabbing and water depletion, and argues that formal recognition of these territories as Omecs or TICCAs is essential for inclusive conservation and social justice.

The document examines three private natural reserves in Brazil (Legado das Águas, Reserva Natural Vale, and Parque das Neblinas) as models of private sector contribution to biodiversity conservation. It details their histories, governance, and ecological impacts, while discussing the challenges of social inclusion and the potential for these areas to be recognized as OECMs to support global and national biodiversity targets.

The document examines two Sesc São Paulo units—Sesc Bertioga and Sesc Interlagos—as models for private conservation with public interest. Sesc Bertioga manages 384.43 hectares, including high restinga forests and areas overlapping with the Serra do Mar State Park, while Sesc Interlagos has recovered approximately 18 hectares of Atlantic Forest in a dense urban setting. Both sites integrate environmental conservation with social services, offering education, sports, and culture to the local population. The study identifies that several areas within these units, which are not formal conservation units (UC), meet the criteria for OECMs due to their in situ biodiversity. It recommends formalizing this recognition, developing integrated strategic plans, and strengthening the link between nature and public health to enhance urban quality of life.

The Seykún community of the Arhuaco people has implemented a strategy of peaceful territorial recovery in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, by purchasing land to protect sacred sites and restore ecosystems. Guided by the 'Ley de Origen' (Law of Origin), the community has achieved significant ecological regeneration, including a 63% increase in forest cover between 2010 and 2022. While the community is exploring international recognition frameworks such as TICCA (Territories and Areas Conserved by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities) and OECM (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures), they maintain a cautious approach to ensure these mechanisms do not compromise their spiritual autonomy or indigenous leadership.

The Consejo Comunitario General Los Riscales manages approximately 31,469 hectares of biodiverse ecosystems in the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombia. Through a combination of ancestral knowledge, collective land titles granted in 2002, and strategic alliances, the community has implemented sustainable fishing and agricultural practices and established the Distrito Regional de Manejo Integrado (DRMI) Golfo de TribugáCabo Corrientes to protect marine resources. Despite facing threats from the proposed Puerto de Tribugá deep-water port, illegal logging, and armed conflict involving the ELN and AGC, the community maintains a strong conservationist vocation driven by spiritual identity and food security. While the community is open to the OECM framework to increase international visibility and funding, they emphasize that such recognition must be a collective decision and respect their autonomy.

The La Ilusión Natural Reserve is a 44-hectare private area in El Rosal, Cundinamarca, that transformed degraded cattle pastures into a high-Andean cloud forest sanctuary. Recognized in 2021 as Colombia's first OECM, the reserve focuses on ecological restoration, biodiversity protection, and community integration. Managed by a family through the Fundación El Bosque y La Niebla, it employs a participatory governance model that includes local peasants and academic partnerships. The reserve is notable for pioneering 'Relational Forest Therapy' in Colombia to foster socio-ecological reconciliation. While facing threats from intensive agriculture and poaching, it seeks to expand its impact through the 'Rizoma' project to create biological corridors with neighboring farms and aims to access Payments for Environmental Services (PES) to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

The Sapara Nation in Ecuador manages 322,029 hectares of high-biodiversity rainforest through a spiritual cosmovision and traditional governance. While the community of Llanchamacocha has established strict conservation zones like Kamunguishi and sustainable ecotourism via the Naku project, they face significant threats from oil exploration (specifically blocks 79 and 83), illegal logging, and internal fragmentation. State-led incentive programs like Socio Bosque (PSB) have provided financial support but also triggered internal conflicts over benefit distribution. The document argues that long-term conservation requires full legal land titling, respect for Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and financing mechanisms that align with indigenous spiritual values and autonomy.

The Mancomunidad del Chocó Andino (MCA) in Ecuador manages a 124,000-hectare mosaic of conservation areas, including private reserves and biosphere components, to protect high biodiversity against extractive threats. While the MCA employs a participatory governance model involving local governments and community networks, it faces significant challenges from state-led mining concessions, land tenure insecurity, and fragmented financing. The document argues that the OECM framework could strengthen the MCA by providing legal recognition of local control and facilitating access to sustainable funding, provided it avoids top-down administrative burdens.