Climate 411

From IUCN Congress to COP30, let science, Indigenous knowledge, and economics lead toward solutions that work for people and nature

By Angela Churie Kallhauge / Published: October 6, 2025

This October, a rare, once-every-four-years gathering is taking place in Abu Dhabi: The IUCN World Conservation Congress is where global experts and leaders meet to discuss nature conservation. It’s not just about protecting wildlife; it’s a vital opportunity to find smart, practical, and science-backed ways to meet our 2030 goals for people and nature. This event is a key moment to advance actions that tackle the connected problems of biodiversity loss and climate change together—a collaborative effort, much like the UN’s “Rio Trio” agreements, that could accelerate global action. 

This Congress comes just weeks ahead of the next United Nations climate conference, COP30, which will take place in the Amazon Basin, hosted by the city of Belém, Brazil. Hosting in this setting gives us the opportunity to cast global attention to the challenges and potential solutions unfolding in the wider Amazon region, for the communities living and sustaining the Amazon, and for biodiversity and nature at large.  Read More »

Also posted in Forest protection, United Nations / Authors: / Comments are closed

Financing Forest Conservation: Guiding Quality Forest Finance in the Baku to Belém Roadmap

By Zach Cohen and Mark Moroge / Published: July 22, 2025

Aerial view of a Costa Rican rainforest. Flickr/ Francisco Guerrero 2020

By Mark Moroge and Zach Cohen 

At this November’s UN Climate Conference in Belém, progress on climate finance will be measured not just in pledges, but in delivery – including for forests, which are critical to regulating the climate, sustaining biodiversity, and supporting millions of people. The driving question: how do we get more money to the people conserving critical ecosystems at the speed and scale needed to make a difference? 

Last year’s climate conference in Baku set an ambitious goal to mobilize $1.3 trillion by 2035 for developing countries. Over the coming months, countries will provide inputs on a ‘Baku to Belém Roadmap’, guiding public and private sectors to deliver on this target. While scaling climate finance is essential, so is ensuring its quality. Strengthening the affordability, accessibility, and effectiveness of climate funding must be priorities to catalyze transformative action. 

As the Baku to Belém Roadmap takes shape, these principles of quality cannot just be abstractions – they need to be translated within specific sectors and contexts. This is especially true for the forest sector, where stakeholders face underlying barriers to securing the financing they need, and where there are ripe opportunities to unlock new resources, from leveraging public money to catalyze private investment, to deploying innovative models like the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.  Read More »

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Jalisco’s Path to High-Integrity Jurisdictional Climate Finance: A Model for Climate Action and Territorial Justice

By Edgar Godoy / Published: June 19, 2025
Cloudy forest in Jalisco, Mexico

Clouds partially cover a forest in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Photo by Edgar Godoy.

This post was authored by Edgar Godoy, Associate Vice President for Jurisdictional Alliances, and Paola Bauche, Secretary of Environment and Territorial Development, State of Jalisco, Mexico.

As the urgency of the climate crisis intensifies, jurisdictional REDD+ approaches have emerged as a scalable, equitable, and results-based solution for tackling deforestation and forest degradation. In Mexico, the State of Jalisco stands out as a subnational leader, having developed and begun implementing a jurisdictional REDD+ model rooted in long-term vision, institutional strength, and a strong commitment to forest communities’ rights. In its role as strategic partner to the Government of Jalisco, Environmental Defense Fund has been providing targeted technical assistance, supporting the development of emissions baselines and safeguard frameworks, and bolstering Jalisco’s alignment with international best practices in high-integrity carbon markets.

With over 4 million hectares of forest cover, representing more than 50% of its territory, Jalisco’s forests are critical for biodiversity conservation, climate regulation, and the livelihoods of hundreds of communal land communities, called ejidos, and Indigenous communities. The state’s REDD+ Strategy, developed through inclusive, participatory processes, links forest conservation, restoration, land-use planning, and sustainable rural development. It aligns with Mexico’s national REDD+ framework and the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.

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Also posted in Carbon Markets, Forest protection, International, Mexico, Paris Agreement, REDD+, United Nations / Authors: / Comments are closed

Bonn 2025: Charting the Path to COP30 and Enhanced Climate Action

By Sarah Swain and Zach Cohen / Published: June 12, 2025

2025 June Climate Meetings. UNFCCC/ Amira Grotendiek

Next week, the international climate community will convene in Bonn for the 62nd session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (June 16-26, 2025), or SB62. SB62 marks a critical milestone on the road to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, shaping the preparation and setting the stage for the negotiations.  

The meetings in Bonn will be guided by a central principle set by COP30 Presidency: the idea of “global mutirão,” the power of collective action to achieve goals no single actor can accomplish alone. Brazil has launched this initiative to identify common ground across regions and sectors, finding areas of convergence that can drive ambitious climate action forward. The Presidency has underscored the urgent need for this collaborative approach, particularly at SB62, to rebuild the multilateral trust strained during COP29 and by widening geopolitical rifts.  

Answering the global call for climate action, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is putting the spirit of “mutirão” into practice. At its core, EDF’s “mutirão” is already in our DNA. We play a unique role working with partners and allies across society – from local communities, major companies, Indigenous Peoples, governments and more – to find the shared goals that lead to groundbreaking solutions. Embracing collaboration and partnership has led us to impactful wins for planet and people: from supporting Indigenous Peoples’ participation in UN spaces to conserve forests, to gathering national oil companies together under an ambitious goal to slash methane emissions. Our commitment to this inclusive approach is essential for rebuilding the global trust needed for swift, fair, and ambitious climate action that delivers.  

Here are the thematic issues and topics EDF will be actively engaged in during SB62:

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Empowering Indigenous Voices: Bridging government, communities, and carbon markets in Kenya

By Edgar Godoy and Santiago Garcia / Published: April 15, 2025
Facilitators walk through carbon market principles, empowering IPLCs to advocate for their rights and interests.

Participants at a carbon markets workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. Facilitators walk through carbon market principles, empowering Indigenous People and local communities to advocate for their rights and interests. Photo by Diego Acosta-López/EDF.

Last week, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry of Kenya, MPIDO, and IMPACT, convened a transformative workshop in Nairobi that brought together government officials and representatives from Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs). The event marked a significant step forward in fostering meaningful dialogue, co-learning, and collaborative planning as Kenya positions itself within the evolving carbon market space.

This workshop equipped IPLC leaders with essential tools and knowledge to effectively engage in carbon markets, ensuring their rights are upheld and that they can benefit equitably from Kenya’s climate initiatives. EDF specialists led sessions on the fundamentals of carbon markets, robust monitoring and reporting systems, and the critical roles that both IPLCs and government institutions play in shaping a fair and inclusive market framework.

By the conclusion of the workshop, participants had collaboratively drafted a preliminary roadmap for IPLC engagement in Kenya’s carbon markets. This roadmap includes strategies for equitable benefit-sharing, participation in decision-making, and adherence to social and environmental safeguards.

Why this workshop came at a critical time
Kenya is at a decisive point in its climate leadership journey. In 2023, the country passed amendments to its Climate Change Act (National Assembly Bill No. 42), laying the legal foundation for participation in international carbon markets. The new framework enables Kenya to engage in bilateral carbon trading as well as global mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. In the same year, Kenya also signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the LEAF Coalition, signaling its commitment to pursue high-integrity carbon finance solutions that support forest conservation.

These policy shifts have generated growing interest among IPLCs, who recognize the potential of REDD+ and other climate finance mechanisms to contribute to sustainable development. However, they also raised important questions about rights protections, cultural preservation, and the long-term implications of these initiatives on traditional land-use systems.

The Nairobi workshop served as a foundational moment to ensure that IPLCs are not only well-informed but are active co-creators in the development of Kenya’s carbon market strategies.

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