This report takes stock of the current status of forest rights and tenure globally, assesses the key issues and events of 2011 that shape possibilities to improve local rights and livelihoods, and identifies key questions and challenges that the world will face in 2012 and beyond.

The global focus on the threats posed by climate change has drawn attention to the fact that water will be the medium through which many of its impacts will be felt. In addition to the direct impacts of damaging floods and interruptions to water supply due to drought, a particular concern in many regions is the threat to food security, driven by changing rainfall patterns and increased aridity.

Carbon offsetting projects are one of the economic tools available to reduce agricultural emissions by paying for metric tons of avoided CO2e emissions. A summary of the emission reductions enabled by agricultural projects to date is provided in this report. It covers most projects certified by quality assurance standards, including those set up by the Kyoto Protocol (Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation) and those in the voluntary market (Verified Carbon Standard, Climate Action Reserve, Gold Standard, Chicago Climate Exchange, and American Carbon Registry).

Greenpeace released the latest version of the Greenpeace Cool IT Leaderboard at the business conclave "Decarbonising Economy: Renewable energy powering India's growth” organised by Greenpeace India and CyberMedia. The leaderboard, in its fifth edition, ranks 21 companies including three Indian companies (Wipro, HCL and TCS) in the IT and telecom industry across three areas; Climate Solutions, Energy Impact and Political Advocacy and part of its wider campaign focus on climate leadership potential of IT and telecom industry.

The development of mineral resources is a key driver of global economic growth. It has the potential to transform economies and societies, including some of the world’s poorest nations, provided development is responsible and sustainable. The ‘Responsible Mineral Development Initiative’ report for 2011, produced by the World Economic Forum in partnership with BCG, offers a pathway towards fulfilling this potential.

This guidance note aims to highlight the general ingredients for a successful Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) and political economy analysis in climate change Development Policy Operations (DPOs) and to demonstrate that integrating a strong social perspective into DPOs and climate change strategies will contribute to effective, pro-poor actions at the national and sub national levels.

This step-by-step guide on the implementation of the Climate Smart Disaster Risk Management (CSDRM) approach is structured around the policy and programme management cycle of the approach. CSDRM aims to tackle disasters, including sudden and slow-onset disasters exacerbated by climate change, as well as poverty and adaptation through improved integration.