Library | ESG issues
Agriculture, Forestry & Other Land Use
Land use for agriculture, forestry, and related activities plays a critical role in food security, biodiversity, and climate impact. As a major contributor to global emissions, land use faces challenges such as resource depletion, waste, and chemical overuse, which threaten ecosystems and long-term productivity. Sustainable practices are essential for maintaining soil health, ensuring food supply, preserving forests, and supporting farmers and rural communities. Effective land management can mitigate environmental and social risks while creating opportunities for innovation and long-term economic stability.
Refine
252 results
REFINE
SHOW: 16
Place-based biodiversity investment tool
The Place-based Impact Estimator (PIE) is a geospatial tool by WWF that helps organisations identify optimal locations for nature-based investments. It balances objectives like carbon storage and biodiversity to help finance professionals select high-impact projects while managing environmental trade-offs.
Land GHG Monitoring System
A high-resolution geospatial monitoring system from Land & Carbon Lab and WRI that tracks global greenhouse gas emissions and removals across agriculture, forests, and soils to support corporate accounting and climate-smart land management.
Climate resilience, desertification and applied innovation report: A strategic framework for applied innovation in arid and climate-vulnerable regions
This 2026 report establishes a strategic framework for climate resilience in arid regions. It examines technological solutions in water, agriculture, and energy, highlighting Israel's innovation ecosystem and Azerbaijan's renewable energy transition. The document advocates for integrated systems, cross-border cooperation, and robust governance to combat global desertification and land degradation.
Sowing the seeds of change through private sector partnerships: Lessons from two seasons of pilots and system-building
This ILO report evaluates the BOUZOUR project's efforts to strengthen Lebanon’s cherry sector through private sector partnerships. By establishing a national phytosanitary framework and improving exporter-farmer linkages, the initiative increased farmer incomes by USD 688,564 in 2025, enhanced worker conditions, and expanded access to high-value international markets.
Extending social protection coverage to workers in the agricultural sector and their families: Lessons from international experience
Report examines extending social protection to agricultural workers. Highlighting that rural areas account for more than three-quarters of the extreme poor, it identifies barriers like legal exclusion and informal employment. It presents international solutions, including flexible contribution schedules and mobile service delivery, to achieve universal coverage for rural populations.
U.S. Fire Weather Historical Trends Data (1973-2025)
A dataset and analysis by Climate Central tracking fire weather trends across the U.S. from 1973 to 2025. It helps users understand the increasing frequency of high heat and low humidity conditions that drive wildfire risk.
Hot summer economics: Economic effects of the hot European summer of 2026
This report examines the economic impact of the 2026 European heatwave, estimating a 1% reduction in EU-wide GDP. It details effects on labour productivity, agriculture, and energy sectors while warning of a 'doom loop' where climate damage leads to the weakening of environmental policies to protect short-term growth.
Tracking methane action in the dairy and coffee sector
This benchmark series evaluates the progress of leading dairy and coffee companies in addressing methane emissions. It assesses corporate targets, disclosure practices, and reduction strategies within the food sector. The research provides a comparative analysis of industry performance against global climate commitments to encourage transparency and accountability.
Tropical deforestation outlook: How market trends could impact the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia-Oceania
This report evaluates market drivers of tropical deforestation across the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia. It analyses impacts from transition minerals, food systems, and fast-turnover products. The document outlines transition pathways and provides policy recommendations to address global trade and consumer demand trends through 2035.
Regenerative agriculture: Moving from ambition to credibility
This report evaluates regenerative agriculture commitments across 78 global agri-food companies. While disclosures have increased, quantified targets have declined to 28%. Significant gaps remain in financial support for farmers and pesticide reduction targets, with the pork and poultry sectors largely overlooked in transition planning.
Just Nature: How finance can support a just transition at the interface of action on climate and biodiversity
This report examines how the financial sector can facilitate a just transition within nature-based systems. It outlines priorities for sustainable agriculture, deforestation, nature-based solutions, and ocean restoration. The authors provide strategic recommendations for integrating human rights and social inclusion into climate and biodiversity actions to achieve a net-zero economy.
Gaining ground: State of private investment in nature 2026
This report analyses the growth of private investment in nature between 2016 and 2025, documenting a fivefold increase in annual capital deployment to $14 billion. It highlights the shift towards institutional-grade natural capital and recommends clearer policy drivers and standardised metrics to unlock investment and bridge the $700 billion finance gap.
Global Forest Review
The Global Forest Review is an online resource by the World Resources Institute providing annual data on global forest loss, deforestation drivers, and carbon stocks. It helps finance professionals assess environmental risks and track supply chain exposure to deforestation-linked commodities.
The silence of the loans: Banks should adopt methane policies that cover financing and facilitating emissions
Planet Tracker examines twenty-five banks' policies regarding agricultural methane emissions. Despite methane's high potency, no banks have specific reduction targets for this sector. Most policies focus solely on direct financing, ignoring facilitated debt which constitutes 96% of corporate funding, creating significant financial and regulatory risks for lenders.
Connecting capital within African agrifood systems: Lessons from a decade of practice
This report examines the structural misalignment between investors and agribusinesses in African agrifood systems. It highlights that while annual climate finance reached USD 7.8 billion, it falls short of the USD 1.1 trillion global requirement. Recommendations focus on improving technical assistance and intermediation to mobilise capital effectively.
Tropical rainforest loss slowed in 2025, but fire is a growing threat to forests worldwide
Global tropical primary forest loss decreased 36% in 2025, though 4.3 million hectares were destroyed. Significant policy-driven reductions occurred in Brazil, but global deforestation remains 70% above levels required for 2030 targets. Fires drove 42% of global tree cover loss, with severe impacts in Canada and Europe.
