Writing For Conservation Projects

Green Procurement Playbook 2025 🌍 Procurement has become one of the most strategic functions shaping corporate sustainability and governance. The new Green Procurement Playbook 2025 by the World Economic Forum and Kearney presents a framework to integrate ESG principles into procurement and unlock business value through responsible supply chains. It highlights that procurement influences up to 90% of corporate emissions, positioning it as a critical lever for decarbonization, transparency, and systemic impact. The document introduces eight building blocks that guide organizations from compliance to leadership across strategy, operations, and enablers. They include executive alignment, governance structures, supplier engagement, collaboration, data systems, and capability building, all designed to embed sustainability into decision making. The playbook emphasizes that meaningful progress comes from governance and incentives that connect sustainability outcomes with corporate strategy. Examples from Iberdrola, Bayer, and DHL show how integrating sustainability into executive accountability and supplier collaboration drives measurable impact. Iberdrola ties executive compensation to sustainability results. Bayer established a global sustainable procurement structure. DHL invests significant resources in decarbonization based on clear business cases. These initiatives reflect how procurement can evolve from cost control to strategic value creation when ESG goals guide operational and financial decisions. The playbook also highlights the need for shared standards, data transparency, and cross sector alliances to accelerate transition and accountability across global supply chains. It reinforces the growing expectation for procurement teams to evaluate suppliers by price, quality, carbon performance, labor conditions, and governance practices. Green procurement has become a foundation for ESG integration, corporate resilience, and long term business performance. How are organizations embedding sustainability criteria into procurement governance frameworks today?

Exciting publication alert 🌿 Proud to share the release of a new practical guide by the FAO Representation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MoEWA) in support of the Kingdom’s ambitious environmental transformation under the Saudi Green Initiative. With bold national targets—including planting 10 billion trees, reducing emissions, and safeguarding terrestrial and marine ecosystems—Saudi Arabia is advancing large-scale restoration of rangelands, forests, and coastal mangroves. The National Greening Program is central to this effort, promoting afforestation with native species across all 13 regions and fostering collaboration among public institutions, the private sector, civil society, women and youth-led initiatives, and rural entrepreneurs. Developed under the Sustainable Rural Agricultural Development Programme (Saudi REEF), this guide provides clear technical and management guidance on nursery establishment and operation. It supports practitioners and non-specialized stakeholders in producing high-quality native tree and shrub seedlings—the very foundation of successful planting programmes. By prioritizing native species, the guide reinforces ecological resilience, climate adaptation, and long-term sustainability, while reducing risks linked to invasive species, pests, and disease. It covers site selection, nursery layout, growing media, container filling, seed sowing, irrigation, seedling care, and integrated pest management. This publication reflects the strength of FAO’s partnership with the Saudi Government and our shared commitment to Vision 2030, green growth, and sustainable livelihoods across rural communities. وزارة البيئة والمياه والزراعة / المركز الوطني لتنمية الغطاء النباتي ومكافحة التصحر / ريف السعودية @FAO / United Nations / UN in Saudi Arabia / Saudi Vision 2030 / Saudi Green Initiative / Middle East Green Initiative / WOCAT - World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies / National Center for Wildlife المركز الوطني لتنمية الحياة الفطرية #SaudiGreenInitiative #Afforestation #Sustainability #EnvironmentalRestoration #FAO #GreenGrowth #ClimateAction #SaudiArabia

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻-𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. If you want a way to search the best available analytical tools in use by the world’s leading Finance Ministries and international organisations, search no further. Over a year’s worth of painstaking work as part of the Coalition of Finance Ministers Economic Analysis for Green and Resilient Transitions initiative has led to the Compendium of Practice - a global, collaborative resource with over 130 contributions from across 70 institutions, all downloadable as short papers. The Compendium showcases how Ministries of Finance (MoFs) and their partners are tackling key climate policy challenges through applied tools, modeling approaches, and capacity-building strategies. It covers:  1. The pressing questions many MoFs face in driving the transition   2. The plethora of economic analysis tools available to help address these questions from climate-enhanced macro modelling tools and physical climate risk models to decision-making frameworks and ex-post assessments of policy impacts.   3. The ways in which MoFs are building their own analytical capabilities and the premier capacity building efforts led by international organisations. Importantly, this is an open resource, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱. You are encouraged to use it, circulate it within your institutions, and pass it along through your networks. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 – 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. To make this collective knowledge widely accessible, a new standalone 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 has been launched: The Macroeconomics of Green and Resilient Transitions website. This platforms complements the Coalition’s main site by making these contributions easy to explore, access, and apply—offering a practical gateway to policy-relevant tools and real-world examples. On the website, you’ll find:  • A searchable Compendium organized by policy questions, analytical tools, and capacity-building theme  • Full contributions showcasing country examples, practical guidance, and tools—typically 2–10 pages—available as individual downloads and to share on social media  • Access to the full reports of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action HP4 Economic Analysis for Green and Resilient Transitions initiative  • Resources on the global community of practice Visit the website: 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀.𝗼𝗿𝗴 Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action Mads Dalum Libergren Sam Koojo June A. Clare Nyakahuma Ralien Bekkers Leandro Rossi Frank van Lerven Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the Environment

Climate Policy Initiative - The State of Green Banks 2025 Building upon the foundational State of Green Banks 2020, the 2025 report offers new insights into the design, operation, and strategic deployment of green banks across diverse country contexts. 👉 Overview of findings 🔹 Global Landscape: Green banks are growing in number and influence. While standalone institutions are more common in developed economies, EMDEs have increasingly adopted alternative models such as green finance facilities within existing public development banks. 🔹 Institutional Models: The report identifies four primary models for sustainable finance—standalone institutions, green public development banks, internal green windows, and country platforms—providing a practical taxonomy to guide new initiatives. 🔹 Persistent Barriers: Despite progress, many green banks face constraints, including limited access to capital, inadequate regulatory frameworks, and capacity shortfalls. The report outlines approaches to address these challenges through innovative design and stakeholder engagement. 🔹 Sustainability Frameworks: Green banks’ success depends on their ability to achieve financial, environmental, and political sustainability. The report presents a conceptual framework for integrating these elements into establishing and operating green banks. 👉 Recommendations for Stakeholders Informed by extensive stakeholder consultations, the report outlines actionable recommendations to enhance the role of green banks in accelerating climate finance. These include strategies for institutional design, product structuring, risk mitigation, and alignment with national and international climate priorities. Additionally, the report proposes a green bank accelerator. Three implementation options were identified within the accelerator platform addressing the identified success factors. 🔹 Establishing a new green bank design initiative to offer technical and financial assistance. 🔹 Expanding an existing support platform, such as by integrating a dedicated green finance pillar within the Finance in Common Innovation Lab. 🔹 Building a coalition of existing initiatives to promote knowledge sharing and coordinated action across the green finance ecosystem.

The Path to Sustainability and Carbon Neutrality in Data Center Infrastructure Management Key Points: Introduction: Overview of ongoing sustainability initiatives and challenges in data centers. Emphasis on the economic benefits of decarbonization and the importance of accurate documentation of carbon emissions. Sustainability Initiatives: Data centers aim to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions between 2040-2050. Strategies include using 100% renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing e-waste, and integrating advanced cooling techniques. Challenges: Documenting and optimizing the eco-footprint of embodied emissions and emissions during the use phase of IT equipment lifecycle. Heterogeneity of infrastructure and constant changes in device configurations make tracking emissions difficult. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol: Explanation of emission scopes (Scope 1: direct emissions, Scope 2: indirect emissions from purchased electricity, Scope 3: indirect emissions from supply chain). Importance of reducing emissions across all scopes and documenting progress for compliance and reporting. Benefits of Decarbonization: Compliance with ESG/CSR legislation. Retaining access to corporate refinancing sources. Eligibility for tax exemption programs. Reduced operational costs due to energy efficiency and reduced waste. Concrete Actions: Implementing tools to document and analyze carbon emissions. Maintaining up-to-date documentation of infrastructure changes. Utilizing Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for better data accuracy. Economic and Compliance Incentives: Access to incentives and programs that support sustainability efforts, such as tax credits and grants. Importance of proving sustainability progress to investors and regulatory bodies. Technological Solutions: Use of ISO 14025 compliant tools and data structures to manage and analyze environmental impacts. Automated data propagation and integration with external data sources for efficient management. #DataCenterSustainability #CarbonNeutrality #GHGProtocol #RenewableEnergy #EnergyEfficiency #Decarbonization #ITInfrastructure #EnvironmentalCompliance #SustainableTech #GreenIT #ESG #CSR #LifecycleManagement

I’ve always struggled with Protected Area Management Effectiveness (PAME) tools, ever since we carried out the first assessment for Cousin Island Special Reserve in 2006. They promise objectivity, but too often compress or ignore biodiversity values and complex ecological realities. In fact the evaluator said I was being cheeky when I challenged parts of it! A new South African study shows why that discomfort is justified. Researchers examined 38 protected areas managed by CapeNature before and after the agency adopted the Conservation Standards, an adaptive, evidence-based planning framework. Overall METT-SA scores rose, and 76% of the protected areas improved. But the gains were driven mainly by inputs and outputs—plans, policies, budgets and administrative systems. Indicators of ecological condition declined. Management looked better on paper while nature was not necessarily doing better. The study exposes a central weakness of many PAME tools: they reward the existence of plans more readily than implementation or conservation outcomes. A reserve can score well because it has the right documents, yet still lack the staff, finance or capacity to reduce threats. Moving forward, assessment must stop treating compliance as success. They should measure whether threats are declining, ecological and social objectives are being achieved, biodiversity is stable or increasing, and management is adapting to evidence. Plans need explicit theories of change, realistic staffing and financing requirements, and measurable outcomes. Annual reflective reviews should guide adaptation, while ecological effectiveness should be judged over longer periods. The real test is not whether the boxes are ticked, but whether the protected area itself is genuinely improving. https://lnkd.in/d-NH83D5

Canada's Auditor General's 2025 reports indicate that the federal government is not on track to meet its commitment of protecting 30% of Canada's land and marine areas by 2030, known as the "30 by 30" target. The audit highlights the need for strengthened cooperative federal-Indigenous management of protected areas to build a resilient network, which is essential for biodiversity, sustainable economies, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. https://lnkd.in/eXJ7bN5p Key points include: - The federal government has committed to increasing protected terrestrial and marine areas to 30% by 2030 but faces challenges such as funding pressures and management plan gaps. - The audit reviewed 34 federal-Indigenous cooperatively managed protected areas, underscoring the importance of cultural competencies and Indigenous conservation methods. - Funding levels and program resources currently may not align with responsibilities to fully achieve nature conservation commitments. - The government needs to improve ecological integrity, monitoring, and management effectiveness of protected areas. Overall, the Auditor General's findings urge the federal government to intensify efforts, secure adequate resources, and prioritize Indigenous partnership in managing protected areas to successfully achieve the 30 by 30 goal by 2030.

This document is a methodological contribution to one of the most urgent yet overlooked dimensions of conservation: understanding the social impacts of protected areas. Developed through the Social Assessment of Protected Areas (SAPA) initiative, it responds to the growing need for credible, standardized approaches that evaluate how conservation interventions affect the people who live in, around, or depend on protected ecosystems. It is particularly relevant at a time when conservation agendas—such as REDD and biodiversity offsets—are expanding rapidly, often without clear mechanisms to assess fairness, participation, or community well-being. The guide is rooted in practical challenges, tested tools, and international experience, offering both depth and utility to those shaping people-centered conservation. Within this document, readers will discover a structured review of social assessment methodologies, including: – A comparative analysis of over 30 tools and methods applied in conservation contexts – Conceptual frameworks such as the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, causal models, and rights-based approaches – A synthesis of indicators—quantitative, qualitative, local and global—used to capture social change – Strengths and weaknesses of methodologies in terms of speed, cost, attribution, and level of differentiation – Guidelines for designing rapid assessments that balance methodological rigor with field realities – A proposed framework to guide locally appropriate social assessments of protected areas – Practical examples and data from global case studies, including marine and forest ecosystems This is a foundational resource for M&E professionals, conservation scientists, policymakers, and development practitioners who are committed to integrating equity into conservation. It equips users with both the critical lens and applied structure needed to assess how environmental protection intersects with livelihoods, rights, and social dynamics. It does not idealize impact—it dissects it, allowing evidence to inform better decisions and more just conservation outcomes.