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New research on progress towards ending deforestation by 2030 shows funding is woefully short, while indigenous groups say their role as protectors of the forest is under increasing threat. Recent news that the world's tropical forests are now so degraded they have become a source rather than a sink of carbon emissions have injected new urgency into the need to achieve the goals set out in the New York Declaration on Forests four years ago.

Honda launched its "Green Path" approach-a suite of initiatives to reduce the total life-cycle environmental impact of its products and operations in North America. Notable initiatives include pledging to reduce its total GHG emissions by 50% from 2000 levels by 2050, investing $210 million in a paint facility to cut CO2 emissions in the painting process by 18% and reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 66%, and more.

For a growing number of companies, fighting climate change is a zero-sum game. In late September, several organizations associated with nonprofit sustainability outfit The B Team declared a "net zero by 2050" (PDF) aspiration pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions. Among them: consumer products giant Unilever; apparel company Kering; Chinese construction company Broad Group; African telecommunications carrier Econet; Brazilian cosmetics manufacturer Natura; and British-born investment group Virgin - a geographically diverse group that underscores the global nature of climate challenges.

The New Climate Economy launched the Coalition for Urban Transitions, a global initiative to bolster the economic case for improvements in urban development. The Coalition will work with countries - including China and India - to ensure effective urban infrastructure investment is a central part of their growth strategies.

Cleantech company Mainstream Renewable Power will reportedly build and operate nearly 1 GW of wind power capacity in Chile by 2021. The 7 wind power projects have a combined investment value of more than $1.5 billion.

Princeton University recently installed a green roof on a new Wawa convenience store to study the benefits and cost-effectiveness. The Wawa roof stores 79,000 gallons of rainwater to help insulate the building.

General Motors completed a storm water management infrastructure expansion at its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant, which is expected to save the company nearly $2 million annually and cut operational water intensity. The company estimates the cost savings will surpass the total project investment in about 1 year.

Obama (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) President Barack Obama unveiled a multimillion-dollar plan Wednesday that would help Western states cut carbon emissions and deal with climate change. The plan would ramp up renewables in Southern California, make a $230 million investment in stormwater management and provide up to $29 million for a pair of geothermal projects in Nevada and Utah. The Hill (8/31)

Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has pledged to power 100% of the federal government's operations using renewables by 2025. "The government needs to be a key player to support the acceleration of clean growth -- not only through policy, but by investing and showing leadership," she said.

But the fact is that the blockchain is building some serious credibility within the world's biggest banks and financial services firms - they helped fuel more than $1 billion in investments between 2014 and 2016. That visibility has given both established and emerging companies the confidence to experiment. In mid-October, for example, Walmart announced a collaboration with IBM and Tsinghua University in Beijing focused on using the blockchain as a mechanism for authenticating food sources and keeping tabs on all sorts of related data - including the originating farm, batch numbers, processing plant information, expiration dates and storage temperatures.

The Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) founder is joined by some of the world's richest people in supporting a 20-year fund called Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Investors include Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, and Alibaba (BABA, Tech30) Executive Chairman Jack Ma. Gates will serve as the chairman of the fund, which is the venture arm of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, a group founded last year to accelerate research and investment in clean energy.

Seafood company Thai Union Group will ensure 100% of its tuna is sustainably sourced and plans to reach at least 75% sustainability by 2020. The company will invest $90 million in efforts to increase their supply of sustainable tuna and open 11 Fishery Improvement Projects.

Apple has invested in four subsidiaries of China's largest wind-turbine manufacturer Goldwind, marking its largest clean energy deal to date. The deal will reportedly add 285 MW of clean energy to China's grid across four provinces.

The U.S. Government collaborated with India and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to launch a $20 million initiative that aims to increase funding opportunities for renewable energy projects - such as distributed solar - across India.

The Wildlife Habitat Council launched a new certification website that enables its members to add projects, upload documentation, submit applications, and more. CEF members that have been recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council for achievements in land conservation include BASF, Boeing, CH2M, Chevron, Dow Chemical, Fidelity Investments, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, and Waste Management. 

The World Bank will provide India with more than $1 billion to support its plans to increase solar power generation to 100 GW by 2022 and derive at least 40% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030. The Bank also announced its support of the India-led International Solar Alliance's efforts to mobilize $1 trillion in solar investments globally by 2030.

Tunisia has set a goal to source 33% of its total electricity needs from renewables by 2030. Energy and Mines Minister Mongi Marzouk said Tunisia's installed renewable energy capacity would have to reach 16 gigawatts to meet that goal, requiring an investment of about $7 billion.

Developing nations invested $37.6 billion on renewable energy development in 2015, according to the World Bank. That renewables expenditure added up to 63% of all energy infrastructure spending in such countries last year, up from a five-year average of 44% and a 10-year average of 37%.

The Paris Agreement and the global divestment campaign has secured one of its biggest victories to date, after banking giant Deutsche Bank announced it would halt investment in new coal projects in line with its commitment to the international climate change treaty.

Leisure travel company Carnival Corporation has installed Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems on 60 ships to cut sulfur emissions across its global fleet. The company has invested $400 million toward the effort to date and plans to install the systems on more than 85 vessels across its fleet through 2020.