Blog | CLIMATE FOCUS

16 February 2021

Trees alone don’t make a forest – the nonfungible role of fungi

A forests is more than the sum of its individual parts. Learning about mycorrhizal fungi reminds us there is more to forests than meets the eye, and we are still learning about their complexity. Looking at what is happening below the surface of forests is a refreshing, and necessary, shift in perspective that can help us move away from a narrow, essentialist perspective to a broader, more encompassing view.

03 February 2021

Let’s get practical: Will 2021 mark a shift from theory to field testing for international carbon markets under Paris?

What 2021 holds in store for the new carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement remains to be seen – especially given the continued onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, countries and stakeholders are now moving beyond conceptual discussions and are starting to work together to test Article 6 on the ground.

23 December 2020

Sustainable beef making debut on Colombian supermarket shelves

Grupo Éxito - Colombia's largest retailer - has taken a major step toward implementing the Colombian cattle sector's zero-deforestation agreements by offering GANSO-guaranteed sustainable beef in select supermarkets this month. Much work remains to be done to mainstream sustainable catlle management - but the pathway toward zero-deforestation commodity production in Colombia is in sight.

10 December 2020

No super year for nature: Large-scale developments for infrastructure and mining could push forests over tipping point

As we reflect on 2020 - which was meant to be the "super year for nature" - we ask: how far have we come on protecting forests from rising global commodity demand and large-scale infrastructure development? Why has progress been so difficult to achieve, and who bears the cost of failure? And are the solutions staring us in the face?

12 October 2020

Some good news on climate action for a change

Some good news on the forefront of climate action: the voluntary carbon market is booming. More and more companies are expanding their climate strategies to include additional action through offsetting and investments in forest restoration and reforestation. The massive spike in purchases of carbon credits is voluntary, thus coming on top of any government policies.

01 August 2020

Towards better beans and a more sustainable cocoa sector

If you’ve had a piece of chocolate recently, there is a good chance the cocoa was grown in West Africa. The region produces over 80 percent of the world’s cocoa, which is farmed by nearly 2 million smallholders, who are living in extreme poverty. Our research showed, that improving their livelihoods (e.g. access to clean water, clinics, food security) is essential to addressing sustainability concerns.

20 July 2020

Fighting over water: Development trajectories and Nile waters

With the world’s attention focused on the coronavirus, a long-simmering water dispute in Africa is nearing a rolling boil. Behind this dispute lies a history of unjust water distribution, a century-old colonial agreement and a need for electrification. The culmination of the dispute was the construction of the largest hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia which has serious implications on the water quotas of Egypt and Sudan.

02 July 2020

The Covid-19 crisis in Colombia – Slowing the virus while accelerating social and economic impacts

In Colombia, where almost half of the population is economically vulnerable, achieving a low number of cases and deaths due to SARS-CoV-2 is not, on its own, a sufficient measure of success. The government must also increase its investments in effective public policies to mitigate the economic and social impacts of the pandemic.

15 June 2020

Another health crisis: German forests

As we are coping with a public health crisis, I spend a lot of time on our balcony looking at the sickly tree in our yard and can’t help but wonder about this other health crisis. It isn’t caused by a single virus but by weather extremes in combination with other environmental stressors and drivers of devastation. Looking at the statistics, forests all over Germany are in a bad state - with a risk of disappearing completely.

03 June 2020

A recipe for disaster: combine Covid-19 with the deforestation crisis in the Colombian Amazon

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon is increasing during the pandemic. This directly affects the living conditions of ancestral communities, with Covid-19 putting additional pressure on indigenous communities.