Companies Engaging Landscape Approaches Surge Tenfold Since 2020 But Quality Remains Low

The number of companies disclosing engagements in landscape and jurisdictional approaches through CDP rose from 27 in 2020 to more than 300 in 2023, a more than tenfold increase. Despite the volume growth, 50% of the 309 disclosed engagements in 2023 failed to meet key credibility criteria developed in collaboration with 20 leading organisations.

CDP and 20 leading organisations developed four core criteria for assessing mature landscape initiatives: appropriate scale, multi-stakeholder governance, collective goals and actions, and credible monitoring and reporting systems. Of the 309 engagements disclosed in 2023, 248 failed to demonstrate a credible collective monitoring framework, 214 lacked demonstrated multi-stakeholder governance, and 208 did not meet landscape boundary criteria. Around 100 disclosures provided insufficient detail to determine whether projects constituted legitimate landscape initiatives at all.

Landscape and jurisdictional approaches (LA/JAs) offer a mechanism for achieving conservation and sustainability goals at a scale unattainable through individual company action. They are particularly relevant to addressing the systemic drivers of nature loss in agricultural supply chains for commodities including cocoa, palm oil, soy, beef, and pulp and paper. Companies frequently cite operational presence in a region or risk mitigation objectives as primary motivations for engaging with LA/JAs, according to CDP analysis conducted in collaboration with the Tropical Forest Alliance and Proforest.

CDP updated its 2024 questionnaire to capture greater specificity on land area, investment flows, and the distinction between high-level LA/JAs and on-the-ground landscape initiatives. More than 80% of initiatives disclosed by states and regions identified government funds and subsidies as their primary source of financing, underscoring the role of private capital in filling the gap. CDP's collaboration with the Earth Innovation Institute and Tropical Forest Alliance has produced investor engagement guides and provincial pitchbooks for Indonesian provinces to attract private investment into jurisdictional REDD+ strategies.

Key figure — 300+ companies disclosing landscape approach engagements in 2023, up from 27 in 2020