Research and reports

This policy brief focuses on the synergies between the climate and biodiversity regimes, and specifically the need for policy coherence from the international level, where the policy signals are sent, to the national and local levels, where both regimes are implemented. In that sense, it provides a partial analysis of what would be needed to enhance policy coherence among the three Rio Conventions. It has a special focus on how to avoid negative impacts of climate mitigation on biodiversity.

This report explores the integration of nature-related considerations into net-zero transition plans, emphasizing the importance of aligning financial strategies with environmental sustainability to achieve climate goals.

The global study emphasizes strategic approaches and real-world examples, drawing from 10 countries—Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Mexico, and Peru—and showcasing specific approaches to foster joint implementation of nationally determined contributions and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans.

This paper emphasizes the need for more coordinated joint climate and biodiversity funding at the international and national levels and outlines examples of possible sources of finance.

This paper discusses the connections between biodiversity and climate change, emphasizing the importance of science-policy-practice interfaces in ensuring coherent policies and actions. It highlights the role of scientific knowledge in informing policy decisions and practical implementations.

This paper makes the case for collaborative and inclusive multi-level governance systems to achieve joint climate and biodiversity goals, emphasizing the need for coordination between national and local levels.

This paper addresses the importance of good governance in integrating climate and biodiversity policy-making, offering insights into governance structures, processes, and practices that facilitate coherent and effective policies.

This paper explores nature-based solutions as a strategy for the joint implementation of climate and biodiversity commitments, providing examples and recommendations for integrating these solutions into policy and practice.

This paper explores the synergies between biodiversity and climate policy frameworks, aiming to enhance understanding and policy uptake of integrated solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.

This paper examines the linkages and synergies between international instruments on biodiversity and climate change, providing insights into how these instruments can be harmonized for more effective policy implementation.

This study is a curation of peer reviewed data currently available in open access scientific literature that forms a preliminary accounting of the water requirements of a selection of the suite of mitigation measures required to achieve the Paris Agreement targets as assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

This policy report offers recommendations for strategic national transition planning, emphasizing a whole-of-system approach to climate action and sustainable development.

The UN-Water Analytical Brief on Water for Climate Mitigation discusses the dependency of climate mitigation on the use of water and the effective management of water resources and related services to ensure sustainable and effective outcomes.

This report discusses the potential for integrated implementation of the Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD), highlighting opportunities for synergy in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.

This report presents integrated solutions that align climate action with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the importance of synergy between environmental sustainability and socio-economic development.

Pledges to reduce deforestation and pledges to financially support this transition from developed countries, are insufficient to halt deforestation by 2030. This report finds that commitments within the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) from the twenty countries with the highest emissions from tropical deforestation are not enough to meet the goal. Only eight countries include explicit, quantified targets to reduce deforestation. All fall short of the global ambition to halt deforestation by 2030. The report provides recommendations to strengthen and enhance forest-based targets in NDCs and other policies and scale up immediate and substantive financial and technical support for forest-rich countries.

This report assesses the extent to which countries have incorporated nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation into their NAPs, providing insights into global trends and best practices.

This technical brief examines the interconnections between biodiversity and climate change adaptation, offering guidance on fostering synergies between National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and NBSAPs.

In a world grappling with the interlinked challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, the need for coordinated action has never been more apparent. Central Asia, a region that has witnessed significant shifts in land use and land cover over the past two decades, stands as a testament to both the potential and urgency of addressing these issues in an interconnected manner. Behind this background GIZs Regional Programme for Integrative and Climate-sensitive Land Use for in Central Asia (ILUCA) together with the ELD Initiative and partners have conducted a study process to leveraging synergies from integrative land-biodiversity-climate action in Central Asia.

Land degradation poses a significant environmental, economic, and social challenge for Uzbekistan, leading to substantial losses in productivity, biodiversity, and ecosystem services as well as climate change costs. Between 2001 and 2020, the country incurred an estimated 3 billion USD in economic losses due to ecosystem degradation. Behind this background GIZs Regional Programme for Integrative and Climate-sensitive Land Use for in Central Asia (ILUCA) together with the ELD Initiative and partners have conducted a study process to leveraging synergies from integrative land-biodiversity-climate action in Uzbekistan.

This fourth edition of the NbS Policy Tracker analyzes over 1,300 policies from 190 countries, revealing that only one-third of nature-related policies published since the Paris Agreement have allocated budgets. It highlights the gap between policy commitments and budget allocations for nature, food, and climate action.

This publication discusses the development of investment platforms that align climate action with development goals at the country level, providing insights into strategies for mobilizing finance and fostering sustainable development.

This paper synthesizes recent scientific findings on the effectiveness of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. It emphasizes the need for integrated global efforts and provides policy recommendations to support NbS across the Rio Conventions.

This primer provides an introduction to the interactions between climate change and biodiversity loss, emphasizing the potential for integrated policy responses. It offers insights into aligning efforts across the UNFCCC and CBD, and identifies opportunities for transformative action at COP28.

This policy brief explores how ocean-based solutions can address both climate and biodiversity crises, advocating for the alignment of national strategies under the UNFCCC and CBD frameworks.

This report discusses the financial mechanisms and strategies required to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on mobilizing resources and aligning financial systems with sustainable development objectives.

This report addresses the role of cities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting urban challenges and opportunities in the context of sustainable development.

This report explores the interlinkages between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing insights into integrated approaches for addressing climate change while advancing sustainable development.

This report examines the role of knowledge and data in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting challenges and opportunities in data collection, management, and utilization for sustainable development.

This report summarizes discussions from the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Implementation Dialogues, focusing on strategies and best practices for integrating NbS into climate action plans.

This discussion paper by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) explores how policymakers, project managers, and practitioners can strengthen synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate action. It highlights nature-based solutions and integrated approaches to address both biodiversity loss and climate change effectively.

This study explores the untapped potential for synergies that can emerge through collaborative programming and implementation of land restoration activities under the Rio Conventions in Rwanda against the backdrop of the nation's ambitious goals for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) action plans.

Climate Advisers sought to understand the extent to which key coastal countries appreciate the importance of fisheries for adaptation and mitigation. This report presents the results of that analysis, describing the types of commitments countries are making, rating countries’ commitments and identifying areas where civil society and philanthropic engagement could help to move the needle.

This report explores the integration of climate and biodiversity strategies, highlighting opportunities to align NDCs and NBSAPs for enhanced environmental outcomes.

This primer provides an introduction to the interactions between climate change and biodiversity loss, emphasizing the potential for integrated policy responses. It offers insights into aligning efforts across the UNFCCC and CBD, and identifies opportunities for transformative action at COP28.

This guidance supports governments in identifying and implementing feasible, short-term actions in the land sector that contribute to both immediate and long-term climate mitigation goals. It emphasizes establishing enabling conditions for synergistic opportunities in the land sector.

This report presents an overview of their current level of ambition for nature and highlights what can be done to fully harness NbS’s potential in global climate action going forward.

This paper provides recommendations for how government decision-makers can incorporate the full potential of forests for climate change mitigation and adaptation in NDCs under the Paris Agreement. It seeks to inform policymakers in developing measurable policies and actions for NDCs and other national climate strategies and policy documents.

This document comprises a series of sectoral checklists developed to assist climate change professionals and decision-makers in identifying water-related issues to address within climate plans and policies. It aims to support the enhancement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement by integrating water considerations across various sectors.

This policy brief emphasizes the importance of high-carbon ecosystems, such as peatlands, forests, mangroves, wetlands, and marshes, in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss. It highlights that these ecosystems store significant amounts of "irrecoverable carbon," which, if lost, could not be re-sequestered before mid-century, thereby exacerbating climate change. The brief provides recommendations for incorporating the protection of these ecosystems into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to achieve synergistic benefits for both biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation.

This report examines the interconnectedness of climate change and nature loss, highlighting the risks and opportunities for the financial sector. It provides insights into how financial institutions can address these challenges through strategic decision-making.

This document highlights the importance of integrating local and indigenous knowledge to support synergies among the Rio Conventions, providing practical examples and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.

It discusses the significance of mobilizing financial resources for projects that simultaneously address the objectives of the Rio Conventions, highlighting opportunities and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.

This document emphasizes the importance of integrated planning to enhance synergies between the Rio Conventions, providing entry points, practical examples, and recommendations for policymakers and practitioners.

This infobrief provides foundational information on the importance of synergies among the Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD), discussing historical perspectives and the role of national focal points.