Constructive critique. This book provides a critical, evidence-based analysis of REDD+ implementation so far, without losing sight of the urgent need to reduce forest-based emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change.

REDD+ as envisioned has not been tested at scale. Results-based payment, the novel feature of REDD+, has gone untested. International funding (both public and private) remains scarce, and demand through carbon markets is lacking.

This collection of 12 stories from women and men in nine countries in different parts of Africa shines a light on the efforts of communities, some of them decades-long, in restoring degraded forests and landscapes. The stories are not generated through any rigorous scientific process, but are nonetheless illustrative of the opportunities communities create as they solve their own problems, and of the many entry points we have for supporting and accelerating community effort.

This atlas provides habitat suitability maps for 54 species that are widely used in Central America for shade in coffee or cocoa agroforestry systems. The 54 species represent 24 fruit species, 24 timber species and 6 species used for soil fertility improvement. Suitability maps correspond to the baseline climate (1960-1990) and 2050 climates predicted for Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. Habitat was classified as suitable in future climates if a minimum of 12 out of 17 downscaled Global Circulation Models predicted suitable climates.

The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) entered a new era in December 2017 when it successfully launched its next five-year phase, centered on building a worldwide movement to connect and engage one billion people around sustainable land use.

The inaugural meeting of this ‘new’ GLF was held from 19-20 December at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany, where the movement will take up residence over the next five years.

Policy reform is required to more accurately value natural capital and incentivize green investments through aligned subsidies, supportive financial measures, and risk mitigation support.

A centralized system that synthesizes evidence and connects projects to investors would both improve awareness of initiatives and funding sources, and build capacity and financial literacy.

Key information gaps persist in reporting, monitoring and impact assessment. Leveraging a centralized system could reduce redundancies, enhance cost-effectiveness and bridge finance gaps.

El Informe Estado del Ambiente 2017- IEA atiende un mandato para el Consejo Nacional Ambiental contenido en la Ley Orgánica del Ambiente de “Preparar el informe anual sobre el estado del ambiente costarricense” y tiene por objetivo producir y divulgar un reporte multidisciplinario, innovador y riguroso sobre un conjunto de temas prioritarios para el ambiente costarricense, enfocado desde la perspectiva institucional del Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía de Costa Rica (MINAE) y articulado con las instituciones que conforman el Sector Ambiente, de acuerdo con el Reglamento Orgánico del Pode

En el año 2000, se intensificaron las amenazas de expansión de la frontera agrícola, extracción de madera, cacería comercial y pesca masiva no controlada, creándose conflictos entre aripaeños y foráneos por el uso del bosque y sus espacios. Por ello, los comunarios del lugar iniciaron las conversaciones para concretar un Acuerdo de Conservación.

REDD+ is an important instrument for many developing countries in the tropics to fulfill their commitments under the Paris Agreement. Accordingly, various countries have considered it in their current (Intended) Nationally Determined Contributions as to shape the future pathway for addressing the 2.0°C goal.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have emerged as the main tool for defining, communicating and potentially reporting party contributions to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Agroforestry has been identified as a key part of most developing country NDCs, hence it is a potentially important contributor to global climate objectives. This policy brief seeks to explore the degree to which agroforestry is represented in current NDCs ambitions, how its application is envisaged and how its contribution could be enhanced.

Forest landscape restoration (FLR) initiatives are being launched over much of the global South. These initiatives seek to restore ecological functions and associated ecosystem goods and services while improving social outcomes (Mansourian and Vallauri 2014). The scale of these initiatives is such that large geographic areas as well as large numbers of people will be affected in the countries that choose to participate in them.