Policies
Life cycle impacts of forest management and wood utilization on carbon mitigation: knowns and unknownsBackgroundForests currently remove 2-3 GtC yr⁻¹ from the atmosphere, while global wood harvest exceeds 3-4 billion m³ yr⁻¹, creating complex interactions between forest carbon stocks, harvested wood products, and the substitution of wood for more emission-intensive materials. Lifecycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to evaluate these interactions, but differing system boundaries, baselines, and treatment of carbon pools can lead to very different conclusions about mitigation benefits. Clarifying where evidence is robust and where major uncertainties remain is essential for designing coherent forest-climate policy. Open access copy available |
Forest carbon in Amazonia: the unrecognized contribution of indigenous territories and protected natural areasBackgroundAmazonia stores an estimated 80–120 Pg of aboveground carbon, and changes in this stock have global climate implications. Indigenous territories (ITs) and protected natural areas (PNAs) together cover roughly one-third to one-half of the Amazon region, yet their specific contribution to maintaining forest carbon has often been overlooked in regional mitigation discussions. Quantifying their role is important for designing REDD+, climate finance, and land rights policies that reflect on-the-ground conservation performance. Open access copy available |
The Evolution of Carbon Market: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric StudyBackgroundCarbon markets are now central to climate policy because governments increasingly rely on carbon pricing to align economic decisions with emission reduction targets. As emissions trading systems and carbon taxes expand in scope and scale, policymakers and researchers need a clear picture of how underlying scholarship has developed and where knowledge gaps remain. Literature on carbon markets has grown rapidly, spanning multiple disciplines, making it difficult to track dominant themes, influential contributions, and blind spots, especially around equity, governance, and Global South experiences. Open access copy available |
The construction of biodiversity in conservation policy discourse: A multiscalar analysisBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Assessing the Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of Mangrove Loss in Indonesia: A Synthesis for Science-Based PolicyBackgroundIndonesia’s rate of mangrove loss has accelerated to about 40% over the past 30 years. Despite the government’s policies and investments for mitigating mangrove degradation, low seedling survival, and poor site suitability have impeded restoration progress. This study aims to review mangrove loss in Indonesia and assess the negative impacts of mangrove loss on carbon stocks, local livelihoods, and ecosystem benefits (e.g., fisheries, coastal protection, biodiversity). Open access copy available |
Indicators to assess viable entry points for implementing landscape approachesBackgroundOpen access copy available |
Regulating Green Finance and Managing Environmental Risks in the Conditions of Global UncertaintyBackgroundThis paper examines how growing global uncertainty, driven by geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, climate risks, and declining international cooperation, increases the environmental, energy, and socio-economic risks confronting countries. In this context, green finance is a strategic tool to support sustainable development and strengthen resilience; however, the green finance landscape remains highly fragmented, with uneven regulatory frameworks, large disparities between developed and developing countries, and persistent volatility that limits effective environmental risk management. Open access copy available |
The status of forest carbon markets in Latin AmericaBackground:Latin America (LATAM) hosts some of the world’s largest tropical forests, which provide significant carbon sequestration and a major share of global forest carbon credits. Despite these benefits, deforestation and forest degradation remain critical issues. Forest carbon markets, both compliance and voluntary, have emerged as key mechanisms to finance conservation, reduce emissions, and enhance climate resilience. Open access copy available |
The natural capital framework for sustainably efficient and equitable decision makingBackgroundThe concept of ‘natural capital’ is increasingly accepted in government and private sector decision-making for its role in sustaining economic and social well-being. However, the field is fragmented, and many applications misuse its foundations in economics and ecology, which this perspective addresses by proposing an integrated framework. Available with subscription or purchase |
Valuing natural capital and ecosystem services toward the goals of efficiency, fairness, and sustainabilityBackgroundNatural capital (NC) and ecosystem services (ES) are fundamental to sustaining human life, but valuing them requires a whole-system understanding of the interdependencies between humans and nature. Conventional economic valuation, based solely on individual willingness-to-pay, is too narrow for this complex task. Available with subscription or purchase |
