Image
Engaging scientists and experts to build momentum for the protection of tropical primary forests
Good news for the planet and its primary forests: the Global Environment Facility has engaged world-class scientists and experts on mobilizing cutting-edge tools and practices to protect tropical primary forests. The initiative was introduced during a workshop on “Advancing the Integrated Approach…
Image
Unlocking climate action – the power of forest data transparency
In the battle against climate change, forests stand as stalwart allies. These green giants play a pivotal role in sequestering carbon dioxide, regulating the climate, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting livelihoods. However, the fate of forests worldwide hangs in a precarious balance due to…
Image
Lessons from a perfect storm in the Amazon wilderness
The agreement by 110 countries at COP26 in Glasgow to halt and reverse deforestation within the decade is very good news. But what will it take for change to actually happen?
This is not the first time world leaders have made such a commitment – the successes and failures in the fight to save one…
Image
#FreetownTheTreeTown campaign: Using digital tools to encourage tree cultivation in cities
Freetown, located at the seaward tip of a heavily forested, mountainous peninsula, is the capital of Sierra Leone, dominating its urban, economic, and social landscape. Each year, more than 100,000 people in search of employment move to the city, and the urban fringes continue to push deeper into…
Image
Working together to grow, nourish, and sustain
On October 16 every year, we celebrate World Food Day to highlight the enduring vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition. This year, we face the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, which threatens food security and human health and may push another 130 million people into hunger by the end…
Image
Mapping nature to create a global biodiversity framework
The year 2020 was considered a 'super year' for biodiversity. A string of interconnected events offered a unique opportunity to build a global coalition and international policy framework that recognized the central role of nature to all life on Earth. At the UN Biodiversity Conference (…
Image
Investing in nature makes more sense than ever
It is not easy to plan for the future during a pandemic or a recession. But this is 2020, and governments and businesses are working hard to navigate both challenges at once.
As they do so, it is incredibly important they cast aside the notion that the environment is a tangential concern.
The…
Image
Nature: one of the best solutions to climate change
Investing in trees and forests combats global warming and provides good financial returns.
The best way to tackle climate change may come naturally. For years, solutions have focused on clean energy technology, including electrifying transport and driving down the cost of wind and solar power.
But…
Image
The real costs of illegal logging, fishing, and wildlife trade: $1 trillion–$2 trillion per year
Illegal logging, fishing and wildlife trade rob the world of precious natural resources – and ultimately of development benefits and livelihoods. The statistics are grim: an elephant is poached for its tusks about every 30 minutes, an African rhino for its horn every 8 hours, one in five fish is…
Image
Innovative investments in nature: native honey from the Chaco forest of Argentina
In the Argentine Chaco forest, the indigenous and creole peoples of Pampa del Indio work together to produce honey from the "melipona bees," which are native stingless bees (Tetragonisca fiebrigi and Scaptotrigona jujuyensis). In a recent blog, we explain how this zone has become a sanctuary for…